Miss Kylee Celeste

Sports Hero Day

2011-02-01T09:33:00.000-08:00

Check out our latest episode of BYU Weekly.

I did a story on Sports Hero Day...

founded by my good friend Jacob Blickenstaff.

These kids are too funny not to watch.

My story is around 18:30 if you don't want to watch the whole thing.

http://byutv.org/watch/173-533#ooid=1id2QwMjod1p4tgWGHIgo-e9R9GDKuyL

Final Semester

2011-02-01T08:42:00.000-08:00

One month down in the final semester of my undergraduate degree and I don't really know how I feel about it.

Excited that I made it through.

Yet sad my BYU years are coming to a close.

It's been such a growing experience in every aspect of my life.

But, ready or not, it's time for the next chapter.

So, I figured might as well go out with a bang.

This semester has been wonderful so far.

It took too much time to solidify my schedule...

but after many hours...here's what I've been up to!

- Finishing up that dang Business Minor with a Financial Management and Marketing class

(I secretly enjoy both...Marketing would have been such a fun major)

- Taking 3 Religion classes

1. History of the Church with the legendary Susan Easton Black

Everyone MUST take her classes before they graduate.

She has a photographic memory. No Powerpoints. No notes. Just talks about the subject from memory. While her students take copious notes. Seriously, she is a walking church history book. I leave that class with an ache in my hand that stays for an hour.

Botton line: she's incredible.

2. Living Prophets

I have a better knowledge and appreciation for our Church leaders.

We learn about a member of the Twelve each lecture.

Their childhood, education, family life, and careers.

I think their should be a class just on their wives...

Needless to say, I find myself wanting to do the reading for this class.

3. Pearl of Great Price

A pleasant surprise.

I heard this was a good class to take before you leave BYU, so I signed up.

I haven't spent alot of time in the PGP,

but we've already touched on some pretty deep doctrine.

Before I applied to BYU, I heard the religion classes were way too hard, hurt the GPA, and weren't all that beneficial.

I could not disagree more.

I feel these classes have been one of the biggest blessings.

I leave class enlightened with my testimony stregthened.

- And my last elective as a BYU undergrad...Event Planning.

My group just completed our biggest project of the semester,

so now it's smooth sailing.

Our professor is darling.

She's been a single mother of four for the past eight years and just got engaged.

She even wants us to help her plan her wedding.

Talk about hands-on experience.

Aside from classes:

- I anchor ElevenNews at Noon on KBYU Channel 11 on Wednesdays.

We have the best news crew.

I love my co-anchor, Andrew Reeser.

My roommates say he's the next Tom Brokaw.

Pretty sure my grandma is our only viewer.

But, we have a good time...and learn lots along the way.

- Lastly, I started working as a reporter for BYU Weekly.

My first paid reporting job ever.

I love my boss and everyone else at the show.

And....best part....we have our own cameramen.

And editors.

So I can actually focus on writing and interviewing.

This set up will probably be better than my first four jobs in the real world.

Feature on 78-Year-Old Butcher Dennis Dixon

2010-12-05T18:38:00.000-08:00

This semester has been much busier than expected. I find myself gravitating toward the newsroom almost every day. I chose to do twelve news stories for my broadcast capstone class, which has occupied most of my time, to say the least. I truly LOVE my major and am so thankful for the many people that have come into my life because of it. Each story is a little adventure. And once the story is edited I have a video journal of what I did that day. One of the many perks of broadcast journalism is the wide variety of people we meet while doing a story.

One Tuesday afternoon, I drove to Payson, UT and spent a couple hours with this guy, 78-year-old Dennis Dixon. He attended Stanford University on scholarship, served a mission in East Germany, and graduated from BYU in economics and political science. He then went back to his hometown to work at his father's butcher shop. He is one of the sweetest men I have ever met. He reminded me what's important in life. While conducting the interview I started to tear up. He's such a dear.

Take a look. See for yourself. You will fall in love too...don't let the red meat gross you out too much...look past it.

Marathon Mendi

2010-10-18T20:24:00.000-07:00

This woman ran her lil bum off this weekend.

26.2 Miles in the Long Beach Marathon to be exact.

She's trained for the past four months, spent countless hours in the gym, and most importantly, survived Douglas' tough eating regimen.

She finished in 5.5 hours.

I guess my dad would find her every couple of miles, run with her, feed her goo, and give her one of his famous pep talks.

What a guy.

My mom told me he wouldn't let her cry or quit.

Needless to say, she did neither.

Good work, Mom!

I'm so proud of all your hard work.

You impress me beyond words.

Tia Rosa's chicken burritos await you.

Check that marathon off your bucket list.

One Year Ago...

2010-08-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

I left the city I fell in love with.

Where I made some of my best friends.

With whom I:

Toured the coolest castles.

Ate too many treats, i.e. Magnum Bars, Galaxy Chocolate, Caramel Digestives, Cadbury Products. Saw some great musicals.

Discovered the best markets.

Fell in love with British History.

Served in wonderful wards.

Crammed for exams in McDonalds on field trips.

Spent too many hours trying to sleep on the coach.

Packed our days with sight-seeing, museum-visiting, and exploring.

One year and another adventure later, I realize how blessed I was to spend a summer in London with these girls. I learned a lot about Europe, traveling, and problem-solving. I learned even more about myself.

I miss having 7 roommates and getting maybe 5 hours of sleep every night. I miss always carrying an umbrella with me. I miss the Tube, Tube riders, Trafalgar Square, Sister Schlur's cooking, Embassy Road, traveling an hour to church, and London shopping. I found it doesn't matter where you are in the world, what you are doing, what you are seeing, but who you are with. People make all the difference. Thank you London Summer 2009 Crew. 27 Palace Court will always have a special place in me heart.

London, you are so clean, charming, historical, and lovely. I think you surpass New York in my book. Samuel Johnson said it best, "When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life."

2012 London Summer Olympics. I will be there. Who's in? Anyone? Anyone?

Currently...

2010-07-03T09:19:00.000-07:00

I'm exhausted.

Just finished my first week as an EFY Counselor in Provo, UT.

Yes, you heard me. EFY.

After a week full of cafeteria food, constant cheers, awkward dances, and dorm living

My heart is full.

I'm truly blown away by the spiritual maturity of the youth I worked with.

They impressed me like I never thought possible.

I learned something from every person in our group.

Each one.

They were the perfect group of girls for me.

So patient.

I even lost a girl the first day.

I know, worst counselor ever!

Group, thank you for reminding me that our Heavenly Father knows us better than we know ourselves. He knows the intricate details of our lives and what's important to us. Thank you for teaching me that it's okay not to hit every bullet point on my lesson outline. Your experiences and insights are much more beneficial for everyone to hear.

Thank you for reminding me that we can do anything with the Lord on our side. I only wish you could see the potential I see in all of you.

It was an absolute joy to play a small part in their experience this past week.

They were exactly what I needed.

My next group has tough shoes to fill.

Round two starts tomorrow.

I'm resting up.

Happy 4th, everyone.

Here's to one of my favorite holidays.

I think I'll head to the most happening place in Provo...

Stadium of Fire and love me some

Carrie Underwood.

Love summer. Love sunshine. Love fireworks.

It's going to be a good day.

P.S.

Final New York Posts to come...super behind.

Fam Damily Visits The City

2010-06-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

Sweet Mendi Sue and Grandma Marilyn came to New York for a visit. Despite a few flight delays and a shuttle mix up, I found them amidst all of the chaos at Penn Station. It was so wonderful to see familiar faces in the city. I knew I would be in good hands for the week.

I was fortunate to work on the crash "Oil Spill" story at Dateline, so things were a bit crazy at work. However, My mom and grandma did get to meet me for lunch on Wednesday at my favorite salad place, Hale & Hearty. They ventured off on their own the first few days while I was working and saw Ground Zero, Century 21, Central Park, and shopped on 5th Avenue. I was able to take Friday off and spend lots of time with them. It was so wonderful to stay in their nice hotel during the hottest week I was there. A BIG thanks to Aunt Cyndi for getting all of the traveling arrangements/tickets taken care of. We so wish you could have joined in on the fun! Here are a few highlights from the week.

1. Pinkberry. These two went twice in one day. Talk about love. There was on right next to our hotel and the employees knew us by name...pathetic.

2. Yankees Game. They beat the Baltimore Orioles. We sat next to a few New Jersey Policemen who were not to happy that we were late and made them get out of our seats. But, by the end of the night they knew I was a BYU student and kept asking me questions about the HBO Series "Big Love". They were a treat. I was so glad my mom and grandma got to see the new stadium. It is unreal.

3. MEMPHIS. This musical is a must-see. It just won this year's Tony Award for "Best Musical". We hadn't heard much about it, but I think it's one of my favorite Broadways I have ever seen. Good call, Aunt Cyndi.

If you are headed to New York City anytime soon, please do yourself a favor and see this musical. The leads are incredible, the music is unforgettable, and the dancing is amazing. Chad Kimball plays Huey and he's probably the best acting performance I have ever seen in a musical. He stays so in character throughout each scene. Montego Glover plays Felicia and has a remarkable voice. The plot follows a white DJ who is ready to take on the world and a black singer ready for her big break. We were lucky enough to have Scott Maddux join us! Grandma was loving him.

Classic Times Square Shot

4. Tiffany & Co. We spent a good amount of time there one morning. Our sweet helper, Gary, was too good to us! They LOVED FAO Schwarz, highlight of the trip.

5. Carousel Ride in Central Park. Call us 8-years-old, but we HAD to do this. After our lil ride, we watched a co-ed softball game followed by some fine dining at Shake Shack.

6. In The Heights. We all entered the lottery for the matinee showing of In The Heights. FYI - if you are searching for Broadway tickets, there are multiple options to get them for better prices. Each theatre varies, but some have similar policies. For instance, some offer student-discounted tickets for under $30 if you go to the theatre's box office day of. The seats are normally in the first 2 rows which are still pretty good! However, In The Heights has a lottery system that takes place two hours before the show at the theatre. All you have to do is show up, fill out a form, have cash and a photo id available and you are good to go. There were quite a few people that entered the drawing so we were unsure as to what to expect. Turns out they called both my name and my grandma's name. We were able to get four front row tickets for under $100, isn't that great?!

This musical took place in Washington Heights, a Latino community just 25 streets north of where I stayed in Manhattan. Corbin Bleu is the lead and he raps throughout the musical. It's extremely fast-paced, modern, fresh, humorous, and hip. It's unlike any musical I have seen before. It attracts a younger audience, but I think everyone had a good time. I even teared up in a couple of scenes, nothing unusual, but I wasn't expecting it. If are looking for a show in the city, see In The Heights. There's nothing like a good show.

7. John's Pizzeria. I took the crew to John's Pizzeria, my favorite NYC pizza. This particular location is in an old theatre. I think it even passed Grandma's test, no easy task!

8. Macy's. This was my first time going to the HUGE Macy's. It's right next to Penn Station and takes up an entire block. This was a priority for Grandma, she is a shopper. So we spent a couple of hours looking for things for family members.

9. I took them to sacrament meeting at the singles ward. They loved the Manhattan Temple. The location is so interesting. It's such an escape from the honking cabs, constant sirens, and hurried pedestrians.

They were quite the sight to see on the subway! I loved every minute with these two. I just dragged them from place to place. They were such troopers. Grandma held up like a champ, I was so impressed. Thanks for all of the fun Mom and Grandma! NYC wasn't the same after you left. Thanks for the comfy hotel bed, pinkberry runs, musicals, shopping, yummy food, etc. I will never forget our week.

Boston Bound!

2010-06-18T12:56:00.000-07:00

Five of us had the brilliant idea of traveling to Boston, site seeing, and returning to New York all within 27 hours. Our dear friends at Megabus made this possible. I have only been to Boston once before and it was about three years ago exact as part of my senior trip. I knew I could easily go back and catch a game at Fenway. So, one weekend when the Sox were in town we made the trip up north. Here's a log of what our day consisted of:

Saturday, May 29th

Midnight - Took the subway to Penn Station.

On our way, this man sat down next to Ben, gazed awkwardly at him, pulled out his supplies, and started drawing his profile. Ben was a good sport and the picture actually turned out pretty good. Love those subway encounters.

1:30 A.M. - Boarded the Megabus. Jordan and I tried to take up the entire back row however, some crazy woman prevented us from doing so. Regardless, Jordan could not have been happier to have the middle seat which provided him all the leg room needed. Slept for the majority of the four hour bus ride.

5:30 A.M. - Just Touchdown in Boston Town

6:00 A.M. - Wander aimlessly until we run into Boston Harbor. Who visits Boston Harbor at 6AM? We do. And apparently, no one else. This is where the Boston Tea Party took place.Jordan taking it all in...

7:00 A.M. - Took a nap on a nearby dock.

7:30 A.M. - Charlotte and I bought Boston jackets. Now we really look like tourists. Or locals, take your pick.

8:00 A.M. - Walked the historic Freedom Trail throughout Boston. It's a 2.5 mile jaunt that highlights major sites of the American Revolution. Hello American Heritage! I felt as if I was walking through the pages of the infamous textbook "A City Upon A Hill". Any cougar knows what I'm talking about. Lucky for me, I loved American Heritage. I know, crazy. But it's one of my favorite classes at BYU. I even contemplated changing my major to American Studies. My point being, I enjoyed the Boston's Freedom Trail.

Statue of Benjamin FranklinPaul Revere's Grave Site

John Winthrop's Grave Site

10:00 A.M. - Ate breakfast at Fanueil Hall. This was the cutest marketplace.

11:00 A.M. - Shopped around at Quincy Market, watched street performers, ate yummy fresh fruit from a nearby farmers' market. The atmosphere was so fun...I was loving every minute!

1:00 P.M. - Nap Time. We were exhausted and needed a lil pick-me-up. So we crashed in a nice park.2:00 P.M. - We had intentions of finding the Boston Temple however, after some inefficient iPhone usage and an hour of walking we were lead to an LDS Stake Center. Quite comical, really. We decided to cut our losses and head to Harvard. We did see a few cool things along the way.
The Boston Garden
Rough loss...

3:30 P.M. - We took the subway to Harvard University and walked around the historic campus. They were having class reunions that weekend so the courtyards were packed with alumni and their families. My favorite part of the campus was the Memorial Hall. It's absolutely beautiful.

The memorial is dedicated to those who died preserving the union during the Civil War. Each name had the birthplace, major, and battle of death place listed. I also loved the Harvard Law School buildings. 4:30 P.M. - We headed to downtown Cambridge, such a charming college town. We grabbed some yummy cupcakes at the cutest shop called "Sweet".

5:30 P.M. - Now for the highlight of the trip: Fenway Stadium. Out of all of the ballparks I have been to Fenway is my favorite. I love the colors. Red. Blue. Green. As in the Green Monster. There's something about the atmosphere that just screams AMERICA. Love it. This place is near and dear. Here are some shots of famous Yawkey Way.

And as for the stadium...

This woman has the best job ever. She is a sports reporter for CSN and works specificly with the Red Sox. What a gig.

This is a highlight of any Red Sox game. In the middle of every 8th inning the crowd sings Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline". It's a treat. See for yourself. Don't mind the shaky photography skills and magical voices.

The Sox beat the Kansas City Royals 1-0. It wasn't the best offensive game to watch, but just being there was a blast.

10:30 P.M. - We battled the crowd to get to the subway and back to the train station.

11:59 P.M. - All aboard the Megabus. Back to the city. Worked. We didn't get back to the Ihouse until 5. So we slept until 1:00 Church.

We packed our 27-hour trip full of fun. I think Boston is such a colonial, charming, historic, fun city. It's much more balanced and practical than the city. You can still enjoy the perks of city life yet live in a residential area ten minutes away. I could live in Boston...aside from the frigid winters. I'm so happy I was able to take a trip during my time on the east coast, it was well worth it.

Apollo Theater

2010-06-18T12:12:00.000-07:00

Most of the BYU interns met up and went to Amateur Night at the famous Apollo Theater located in Harlem. If you are ever in the city on a Wednesday night you have to go. It was probably one of the more cultural things I have done.

Pretty sure we were the only white people there. It was such a neat environment. The host started with a tasteful version of "Let's Get It On". The crowd went nuts. The audience can cheer or boo for each performer and ultimately decides who goes to the final round. I was shocked at some of the talent. It's known as a place "where stars are born and legends are made". The Apollo Theater launched the careers of some huge names: the Jackson Five, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, etc. This was one experience I could not have gotten anywhere else. All of the cougars were loving the entertainment. We're not in Provo anymore...

Peanut Butter Co. & Dinosaur BBQ

2010-06-18T11:49:00.000-07:00

One Monday after work, the broadcast crew headed to the Peanut Butter Co. for dinner. They have some of the craziest concoctions all of which contain peanut butter. We decided it was one of the better rip offs in the city because anyone could easily make almost everything on the menu. I ordered the Raisin Cinnamon Delight, which consisted of whole wheat bread, peanut butter, cream cheese, raisins, and cinnamon. It was the best sandwich ordered out of the group.

Garrett got a sandwich with grilled chicken, peanut butter, and other odd ingredients.

The following day, I met up with Anna and Garrett after work for a hearty meal at Dinosaur BBQ. Whenever we tell people we live near 125th St. most respond with, "Oh there's the best restaurant by you! You have to try Dinosaur BBQ!" We were finally able to make reservations. Anna and I shared and still walked away stuffed.

It reminded me of Texas Roadhouse, a family favorite! Definitely didn't disappoint.

Staten Island

2010-06-18T10:02:00.001-07:00

This is my desperate attempt to catch up on the last month of life. Here goes. One Saturday in the city we planned to make a trip to one of the biggest tourist sites:

Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

Once we made it to Battery Park we soon found that the wait would be almost five hours.

No beuno.

We opted for the FREE Staten Island Ferry ride instead.

Best. Decision. Ever.

Lady Libs herself.
I had been to both Ellis Island and Liberty Island years ago with the family so just passing by was good enough for me.

The ferry ride was only a half an hour and all I could think about was one of my favorite movies. How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days, anyone?
We knew we wanted to grab some lunch but had no idea where to go. We started walking around and ran into some friendly fireman that let us take some pics with their truck.

They suggested we put on their helmets. As Karly went to put on a helmet she saw a furry creature scurrying around and gently dropped the helmet. The guys didn't believe her at first. But sure enough, the little rodent was burrowing inside.

Our new friends told us about this yummy Mexican food restaurant, Beso, that's just up the road. We had all been in search for some chips and guacamole .

Who knew, Staten Island would be the winner.
We were in heaven. Needless to say, it satisfied our Mexican food fix.
Thank you FDNY.
Before catching our ferry back to Manhattan, I wanted to check out a 9/11 Memorial for all of the Staten Islanders that were killed on that horrific day.

Each person had their own plaque with a personalized silhouette on the side. Each one had the name, birthdate, and workplace of the person. This was the first memorial to be built after the tragedy.

I saw multiple plaques with lipstick kisses and it just got to me. People lost their loved ones. They ranged from secretaries to fireman, executives to janitors. I found this memorial so real. Right next to the memorial is a baseball field for the Staten Island Yankees, a minor league team. The stadium overlooks the Manhattan skyline. Not a bad place to play!

We got back on the ferry and explored the financial district.
The NY Stock Exchange is right in the heart of Wall Street.

We went to the 9/11 Memorial Museum and saw the plans for the final memorial which is set to open on September 11, 2011, the ten year mark.

After the financial district, we were all a little beat. We decided Pinkberry and Barnes and Noble at the Shops at Columbus Circle was just what we needed.

It was a great end to a wonderful girls weekend!

Catch Up!

2010-05-31T22:14:00.000-07:00

It's been too long. I'll make this quick. Or at least try to!
Wednesday, May 19th
After work, Nicole, Karly, and I bought student discounted tickets for Mary Poppins. I have been wanting to see this broadway for quite sometime. And it didn't disappoint.

The set and special effects are unbelievable. At one point, Karly even leaned over to me and said, "I feel like I'm at Disneyland!" She said it perfectly. Disney does go all out. And this musical was no exception. Mary Poppins kept pulling large props out of her bag. And Bert even walked on the ceiling. You have to see it. I think the choreography to "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" was my absolute favorite. It's a great family musical and a must for all Disney fans.

Thursday, May 20th,
I was feeling cooped up in 30 Rock all day so after work I decided to make my way to Central Park. Little did I know, I would stumble upon the big LOVE sign.

Central Park is just beautiful. There's something for everyone. I love getting lost in it.

I stopped to watch a city co-ed league softball game. I remember playing on one of these fields with my family on our first trip to New York awhile ago. I don't know what it is but there's something very comforting about watching a softball/baseball game. It's probably familiarity. I don't know, but a part of me felt like home. Anyways, I loved it. On my way out, I randomly ran into Nicole and Kourtney!

It's such a blessing having these girls here. They are such hard working, driven, beautiful, sweet girls who would honestly help anyone. How grateful I am to be here experiencing New York with them.

We just wandered throughout the park and walked up Columbus Ave. to the subway. I find that part of the upper west side so charming.

Friday, May 21st
Girl's Weekend! It was the first and only weekend that we would all be together, without family and boys, so we took full advantage. We went to Union Square for dinner at a yummy Cuban restaurant called Havana Central. I ordered a delicious mango chicken dish. I was so over salads at that point, it didn't even phase. Bring on the poultry.

To top things off on our way to the movie theater we passed a Crumb Cupcake Shop. I had my eye out for one of these. It was fate.

Hands down, the best cupcakes in the city I have tasted. Yes, Scott Maddux, better than Magnolia.
Our movie theater was extremely nice, considering we paid $13. We saw "Letters to Juilet" and LOVED it. My parents had seen it and told me they enjoyed it as well. Even Douglas. It's a fabulous love story. Overall, a wonderful night in the city with the girls!

Last Week...

2010-05-24T21:54:00.000-07:00

I find that I'm always a week behind in my posting! Here's just a quick catch up. After work on Monday, we went to the ESPN Zone to watch the Red Sox vs. Yankees.

We got there pretty early on in the night before the true fans came. ESPN Zone is a Knoles family favorite...if I remember correctly we've been to the one in Anaheim, Vegas, NYC, and Washington D.C. Clearly, we branch out. To be fair, it is the best place to catch a game. They even have little tv's above every bathrooom stall so you won't miss a play. I have lots of fun memories of the whole fam damily playing in the huge arcades they house upstairs. We all ordered yummy dishes and a delicious pazookie.

The Yankees were up 6-1 when we left in the fourth. The Sox came back but the Yanks were ultimately victorious with a walk-off. Had I known it was going to be such a great game I would have stuck around! A good night to be a New Yorker, I guess. I think my heart will always be with the Sox. Shhhh. I may get shot around my parts of town.
Tuesday we have class - so nothing too exciting. We are only meeting once more this week. It's easy to forget I'm in school here!

Love the Manhattan 8th

2010-05-23T23:14:00.000-07:00

Sunday was a much needed rest day. I went to church above the Temple and attended the Manhattan 8th Ward. All of my meetings were fantastic. Our secound counselor and his wife taught marriage prep. They had the cutest little boy who just drew on the chalkboard and would sneak a bite of chalk when his mom wasn't looking. I was dying. Anyways, they're such a power couple. They both attended law schools, he went to Columbia, and she went to City of NY University. She didn't know if her schooling would pay itself off after she started working because they wanted to start their family shortly after she graduated. However, it was important to her and therefore, important to him. I thought their story was very neat.
After church, a sweet member of the bishopric and his family had all of the newcomers to the ward over for brunch. The Todd's were so nice to treat us all - even with their two young kids running around. They live in one of the most spacious apartments I have seen in the city. The bishopric has been so good to us during our short stay here in city. Thank you Todd family for a yummy meal!

Have I mentioned I love brunch? The concept is ideal. It's the perfect time of day to eat a big meal before a nice Sunday nap. Here's to Sunday brunch!

Chelsea - One of My Favorite Parts of The City

2010-05-23T21:13:00.001-07:00

Saturday was an exploring day! Anna and I woke up at 9:00 - early for a Saturday! We headed out to the Chelsea Flea Markets that came recommended by Kathryn. Right off the subway I fell in love with this part of town. It was so charming. First, we went to this huge open garage full of different vendors showcasing their goods - or junk - you be judge. The entire situation was pretty funny. People were bargaining like crazy. We searched through different booths and found some pretty interesting things.

We wandered around, followed a couple of wrong directions, but saw the cutest parts of the town. I even bought drink from a little girl's lemonade stand. I forgot that I was in New York City. I could easily live here.

Next stop - The Chelsea Markets. This place is so much fun. We found so many yummy treats, fruit, etc. They even have this crepe shop I have to go back and try.

These cakes were so intricate. It took me awhile to even realize they're edible.

After walking our lil feet off, Anna and I grabbed a sandwich at Sarabeth's (one of my new favorite restaurants) and headed for a picnic on the Highline. This is probably on my Top 10 List of Things to do in NYC. It's an old above-ground subway line that people have turned into a garden. It overlooks the city on the east and the Chelsea Piers/Hudson River on the west. I will come back here!

We made a quick stop with another group on Mulberry St. in Little Italy. We walked around the Financial District for an hour or so.
We went to Trinity Church and saw a choir rehearsal. I guess people just flocked to this church and also St. Paul's, which is just a few blocks north, during 9/11. Ground 0 is literally right across the street. It's chilling to think about what happened in this area nearly nine years ago.

We stumbled upon the filming of a Tiffany & Co. commercial right outside their building on Wall St. The model was beautiful...and check out that necklace!

New York Stock Exchange - shout out to Accounting 200.

We were not done yet! Next, we got off at Lincoln Center to try and grab tickets for Juilliard's performance of Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice". We grabbed dinner and were the first ones in the standby line. Garrett and Ben met up with us. We grabbed a sandwich at a nearby cafe and were ready to go.

I was exhausted at this point. All I needed was a 20 minute nap in the first act to help me make it to the end. They changed the setting to modern time which was very helpful. I was able to follow the play after I caught some zzz's. That Shakespeare was one smart guy. Funny too. The actors were unreal. We talked with some of the dancers from Juilliard who were ushering the show. They said the dance department usually accepts 26 people - 13 boys and 13 girls each year, out of hundreds of auditions. Can you imagine? If you get into that school, you are set. I was extremely impressed with the talent. Anna and I did so much with our day. I love traveling with this girl! And there's no better way to end the night than with a lil Pinkberry. Honestly. I'm averaging one of these babies a week.

Loved. Every. Bite. Blows Yozone and Red Mango out of the water. By far the best frozen yogurt I have ever tasted. Come visit me. Come get some.

A Night Full of Flamers

2010-05-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

Last weekend was a great time. After working in this building for 8 hours Nicole and I met up with Karly and Co. at tkts. Allison, James' sister, visited the city with her good friend, Amber, for the day. We bought Billy Elliot tickets and were off to get New York's finest pizza. This was my second time at John's and they didn't let us down. It is a MUST in NYC. We headed to the theater and I was pleasantly surprised with our seats. Tkts came through again. We were on the far side of the mezzanine which made it a little difficult to see our side of the stage, but we managed! Overall, I loved this Broadway show. It's based on the UK Coal Mine Strike of 1984. It was a victory for Margaret Thatcher's Conservative Party and her free market program. I learned about Thatcher in my British History class last summer in London so it was neat to connect the dots. Anyways, Billy Elliot comes from a family of manly men who go on strike. His father makes Billy attend boxing lessons when he actully prefers ballet. It's an ongoing battle to get his father on his side. Aside from some foul language, this show is full of fun music, boys in tutus, and some sentimental moments. Billy's mom had passed away a couple of years before, but she appears to him in quiet, touching settings throughout the plot. I couldn't help but think of my own sweet Mom and tear up. Overall, it was a great show to start the weekend. The children perfomers were extremely impressive. There are so many talented people in this world, it blows my mind. The lead was incredible, such a great dancer and had an amazing voice. I would highly recommend it. After the show, we headed to Times Square where we saw some of our fellow BYU interns. Times Square at night is packed. Take note of the mass amounts of people behind us. We headed to 42nd St. and got on the subway. We always get off on 125th St. however sometimes on weekends the subway stops change. I guess our subway driver announced he would skip 125th and the next stop would be 145th. Well, we tend to talk on our subway rides so you can imagine our confusion when we drove straight through our stop. I started to voice our concern when this snappy lady proceeded to say, "He has announced it multiple times...he's not stopping here." She gave me the dirtiest look. In addition to being oblivious,we apparently must be somewhat loud and annoying on our subway rides. We were so scared to get off and cross the street to the other side, so we ran as fast as we could. Anyways, it was the best thing that could have happened because we met four flamboyant gay men from Ohio (two are in a relationship)who were vacationing in the city for the weekend. One was completely hammered. He was talking about how dirty the subway station was and meant to say "gross" or "disgusting" but combined them on accident into "grossgusting". Needless to say, they were causing quite the scene. I was worried for their safety. But, we did love talking to them! Their word choice, hand flips, and body movements were killing me. I documented this moment, however, I'm having issues uploading it. Cross your fingers. Regardless, we did make it home safely.

Broadway Wannabes

2010-05-16T21:43:00.000-07:00

After a couple of rainy days and going straight home due to class and other obligations, we were getting anxious to hit the town. After work on Thursday, Nicole and I met up with Karly and went to a diner called Stardust. All of the waiters are aspiring Broadway stars. As part of the job description they must take turns singing and interacting with the customers. They were all quite good. Our friend, Lauren Lytle, came earlier in the week and told us of her Mormon waiter. We lucked out and ended up getting the same guy! Look at that face...a Jim Carey look-alike I presume.

He was a Coug too. Majored in Acting. And now, trying to make it big on Broadway. When it was his turn to sing he dedicated his song to "The beautiful Sisters in Zion from Utah!" He even continued, "If there's one thing I know about Mormons - they love them some Osmonds!" After his heartfelt rendition of "Puppy Love" he gave us our check with this little note:

"Remember: 10% of my profit - 100% of your prophet." I was dying. Needless to say, we left him a pretty good tip!

It was a fun place and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Times Square.
After dinner we stumbled apon a low-fat ice cream shop called Tasty D-lite. It was a yummy treat...and now we have noticed them all over the city. Kars had to be at work super early so she headed home to get some sleep. Nicole and I set out to meet up with our class group to see the King Tut Exhibit at the Discovery Museum. We forgot to check the address at work so we called to get directions. Long story short - we were told to go 44 St. between 2nd and 3rd. We walked at least a mile to find the group. Turns out, the museum is right in Times Square...bummer. We did get some exercise and oriented ourselves with that part of town. Eventually, we made it and walked through.

The exhibit had artifacts that were found in King Tut's tomb. It was neat to see some of the things I learned about in my History of Creativity class. King Tut died unexpectedly at the age of 19. At the end, we saw an exact replica of this body. A replica...I know, somewhat anticlimactic if you ask me! It was still pretty neat though. Nicole has more pics from the night...so I will post those ASAP.
We went with some Advertising kids to the Crocodile Lounge, a bar downtown. It was fun to chat with them on the subway and get to know them better. Sometimes, I feel we too often categorize ourselves in these groups according to our majors. It's too bad. I would love to get to know people better while we're out here. We got to the door and realized Nicole is 20, Jordan didn't have is driver's license, and Charlotte wasn't feeling good. Man, we know how to party in NYC. Wishful thinking, I guess. I decided to go back home with these three and catch some shut eye.

Rainy Week...

2010-05-16T21:29:00.000-07:00

Monday we got to work an hour early to cover for one of our supervisors. The days at work just seem to go by faster and faster. The weather wasn't the best all week so for the first couple of days we didn't do a whole lot. After work on Monday, I met Kathryn Hopkins, a friend from the broadcast program who interned with Dateline last year, her mom, and Anna at Junior's. This restaurant is right by the Lion King Theatre on 7th Ave. and 45th St. The portions were huge and they are known for their yummy cheesecakes. We just sat at a table and talked for four hours. I couldn't believe how fast the time went. We picked Kathryn's brain about fun things to do in the city, reminisced on broadcast memories, and just caught up on everyone's life.

These girls are unreal. Kathryn just graduated from BYU in three years and starts her Master's Program in Technological Instruction at Utah State this fall. As for Anna, her options are basically endless. She's intering at National Geographic Television for the summer and could possibly stay here long-term or go back to BYU and finish her double-major in English. I feel extremely blessed to be surrounded by such lovely, ambitious girls who in turn, make me want to be better.

Sarabeth's

2010-05-16T21:13:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, I slept through the first hour of the Manhattan 8th Ward. Opps. My body needed sleep! I hustled to make the family ward at 11:00. Since it was Mother's Day the primary kids got up to sing a song about mothers. It was darling! I forget how wonderful family wards are in regards to entertainment. After church, Karly, James, Nicole and I ate brunch at Sarabeth's - a favorite in the city.

James introduced us to this place - I guess its a Barker family fav as well.
I got the "Fat & Fluffy French Toast". It was to die for. Loved every bite. Sunday brunch is becoming a habit...uh oh.

I took a nice nap, ate dinner at the I-House, and got ready for the week.

Last Weekend...

2010-05-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

I'm falling behind on the posts...bad news bears. After our big Oprah high last weekend, we were exhausted. I didn't set the alarm and it was the best. Ever. Nicole and I met with a big group from class to see the MET (Metropolitan Museum of Art). It was a good time...but I find myself comparing NY museums to European ones. And let's be honest, when you have seen some of the originals - mere copies just don't do it!
This painting of Seurat's "A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte" is famous for its example of pointillism. The original is in Chicago and I have yet to see it. Ferris Bueller anyone?

The MET was wonderful, however, I was anxious to get outside. Nicole, Charlotte, and I grabbed some lunch and made our way to Canal St. As we transferred to the shuttle, look who we ran into...

My sweet friend Hilary Neeleman and her adorable boyfriend, Steve. Seriously, out of all the trains in New York City! I was so thrilled to see her. They were in town visiting for the weekend. Little did she know he proposed that night! Congrats, you two!
Canal St. is a riot. We met up with Karly and James and had so much fun talking with the vendors. They get right up in your face and say, "Handbag?" or "Rolex?" It's a struggle to keep from laughing. One man even laughed and asked if I was with the police. I can only squeeze through crowds of people who are eyeing over the same goods in every store for so long. I tend to get a tad claustrophobic in those settings. But it's so fascinating to just watch people. We all got gelato in Little Italy, which was yummy. Then, Nicole and I started heading for the subway when different salesmen on the street asked, "Gucci purse?" We decided to humor them. So I made sure I was on the phone telling someone of our exact location as this man led us through a "secret door", up some stairs, through another "secret door" until we hit our destination: knock-off Tiffany jewelry and Coach purses. This room was full of people. I couldn't stop laughing. I found the entire situation quite comical. We browsed for awhile, ended up buying some earrings, and were ready to leave. I remembered from a previous trip to NYC that some men sell designer jeans as well. We asked a few people on the street and one man said, "Follow me." Nicole and I just looked at each other and were on our way. He took us to another shop about a block away, up another "hidden" staircase, and to a room full African-American men and R&R and True Religions. Yeah, probably not the best situation. I decided to try on a pair. That was dumb. They took me to this open closet and Nicole just stood at the door. I was clearly covered but more men started coming up into the room. Here we are, two blondes, 10+ men, in an isolated room, and I don't have my pants on...solid. Thankfully, they did not have their way with us. The jeans fit funny. At one point, when more men were piling into the room, Nicole looked at me and said, "Ky, we gotta get out of here!" I don't think I could have put on my pants faster. We thanked them and were out. We could have been smarter - but hey it's all the experience, right? Just don't tell Doug.
As we walked down a street in the upper east side we saw a group of people working a photoshoot.

Next stop: the Financial District. We made our way toward Ground 0. I took some pictures of the construction of the new 9/11 memorial.

I just got such a chilling feeling when I thought about being in this part of town during the tragedy of 9/11. I can't even imagine. We walked around for awhile and looked in Century 21 (a store similar to Nordstrom Rack - but with stores from 5th Ave.) We walked our lil feet off. Any girl could do some serious damage in Century 21. I need to go back when I'm in more of a shopping mood and can give it my full attention! Century 21 Trip - to be continued.
We saw the American Stock Exchange.

It was such a windy day in the city, one of the windest I have ever experienced. We decided to tough it out and make a stop at Battery Park which overlooks Liberty and Ellis Island. We made it just in time as the sun was setting.

As you can see, the wind was pretty brutal. We rushed to get on the subway where we experienced something new - having the entire car all to ourselves!

We got off in Times Square only to visit H&M and try on their swim suits for $4.95. They are advertised all over the city. We passed through Rockefeller Plaza at night and it was beautiful. I forget that I work in such a tourist attraction in the heart of the city. It was so neat to see it at night. We made it home late and I went to bed without setting an alarm. Again.

These Two...

2010-05-12T21:22:00.000-07:00

Are getting hitched on Saturday, August 14th!!! Aren't they the cutest?! I just adore them.
Here's a pic from one of their very first dates - Who knows what Jordan's hands are doing under that blanket...he can be a tad inappropriate. Love that.

I could not be happier for them. They make quite the team! They will get married in August after Emily graduates. And then it's off to law school at UC Davis. How fun, right? What an adventure!
Emily and I go way back! Freshman year. Heritage Halls. Enough said. She was my favorite in the entire building and I happened to visit teach her. We soon found that we planned on applying to the broadcast program at the same time. And the rest is history.

We both were admitted our sophomore year. We survived 325. Endured early mornings and late nights in the newsroom, avid malfunctions, and basically all of our broadcast classes. Our fellow broadcasters rarely see one of us without the other. And when they do, they express their confusion. We had some unforgettable experiences. From running the streets of Salt Lake to eating chocolate covered strawberries with Governor Huntsman - Emily is the best person to experience things with. She laughs when I intentionally cuss. She saves me a seat when I'm late to class...always. She's there to laugh to keep from crying. I absolutely love this girl. She is one of the most sincere, genuine, kind, beautiful, smart individuals I have ever met.

Em, my stomach aches when I think about taking 486 without you. Or even being in Provo without you here to have our feelings chats. How will I do it? I'll have to find someone else to put up with me! No matter how bad I want you here, clearly you have much more important things in store. I can't wait for August 14th. I can't wait to see what life has in store for you. I love you more than you will ever know! Words cannot describe how highly I think of you. Congrats you two! Jordan Ryan - you lucked out. Big time. May you count your many blessings. You picked the best out there!

Can Life Get Better?

2010-05-11T21:39:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, Nicole and I were just eating lunch in Rockefeller Plaza, intently talking about life decisions, when these two women approached us. They asked, "Would you ladies like to go to Oprah tomorrow?" Um, is that a question? Turns out, they work for Harpo Studios and Oprah was filming in NYC to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of O Magazine. We explained our work situation and decided we would do anything to miss work for the first two hours. Our supervisor was so cool about it. She kept saying "those are such hot tickets" and "if she gives you a gift - I get to keep it." Kourt and Karly were able to get tickets after work too. So we went to bed early Thursday night and set the alarm for 5:45. Only for Oprah. We hustled to Radio City Music Hall and got in line. As we made our way to the door, Kourt saw a lady passing out yellow wrist bands. She asked, "Are you a producer?" They woman said, "No, I'm over audience preparation." And that's all Kourt needed to hear. She can work it. She explained how it was Karly's 21st birthday and that there were only four of us. Before we knew it we were the first ones in line, yellow wrist bands in hand.
We waited for about an hour until the doors opened and we ran down the aisles of thee Radio City Music Hall. I couldn't believe it. Pretty sure I had goosebumps. Pathetic, I'm fully aware. We were the first ones to grab seats so, naturally, we took the front row - right next to Dr. Phil's wife, Robin and Dr. Oz's wife, Lisa. We sat there for another hour or so just wondering how we got there. I find myself asking that question quite a bit here. How did this happen?

To pass the time, Sally Lou, one of Oprah's main people got the crowd pumped up. She brought people onstage to sing/dance to Alicia Keys and Jay-Z's "New York". It was a blast. Forget news. Forget credibility. I want Sally Lou's job. She had the sweetest gig. I got her attention and asked how she got to that position. She said she knew she wanted to work on a talk show since she was 13-years-old. She's been with Oprah for almost 20 years. I find it so interesting to pull people aside and ask how they got to their current position.
Oprah did not disappoint. She is as poised, calm, and together in person as she seems on television. I wish I could have snapped some pictures, but there was no way. She rocked a sequined skirt with a pink collared shirt, a fabulous belt, and nude shoes (which according to the fashion guru she had later on in the show...nude shoes are the next must-haves). They accentuate and lengthen the legs. Thank you, Oprah. In honor of the big celebration, she had her dream team on the show - Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil, Suze Orman, and Nate Berkus. They all mentioned some highlights in their articles from this month's issue. Dr. Phil even shaved his mustache. His wife, Robin, was flipping. He may not be getting any for awhile.
In honor of Mother's Day, several soap stars and their daughters gave us a spring mother-daughter fashion show. Vanessa Williams was there...she looks absolutely unreal. Finally, Christina Aguilera interviewed and then performed her latest single "Not Myself Tonight". Great voice. Terrible song. Not a fan. But, she is an amazing performer. You can see us on the show dancing in the front row. After bringing the entire O Magazine staff to the stage, Buddy, the Cake Boss, delivered a huge anniversary cake.

Nicole, Buddy's number one fan, started to tear up. She was so excited to see him! I haven't seen her this emotional our entire stay in New York. She and Blair watch "The Cake Boss" on TLC pretty religiously. I was dying.

We got a few pictures of the stage and then it was off to work. Not a bad Friday. We got to work before noon, filled everyone in on the excitement, and worked hard until closing. My life is complete. I have come full circle.

There was another bombing scare in Times Square that afternoon but it turned out to be nothing more than a bag full of water bottles and newspapers. Everyone is on high alert.
After work, Nicole and I met up with Garrett for dinner at Chipotle. We made a stop at Magnolia Bakery before heading home. The banana cream pudding is to die for. We were exhausted so we decided a nice little stroll around Columbia University would be our activity for the night. This part of town gets so much nicer as you head south. The campus is beautiful. Very charming.

My window overlooks this monument - Grant's Tomb - in honor of the Union General Ulysses S. Grant.

This cathedral is just south of us. We can hear the bells ring. It's beautiful - so new. Different than the European ones I saw last summer that were built in the 1400's!

Happy Birthday Kars!

2010-05-09T19:08:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday we celebrated Karly's 21st because sweet James came to surprise her on Thursday!

This is the four of us: Kylee, Nicole, Kourtney, Karly. Kourt found this darling Birthday card for Kars at Papyrus - the cutest stationary store in the city.

After work we walked up 5th Avenue and window shopped. We ran into some sites that were on our scavenger hunt list for class so we snapped some pics.
This is St. Patrick's Cathedral, built in 1815.

We also ran into the Trump Tower.

However, we couldn't resist but go in and take a look around in Tiffany & Co. Nice men in suits followed us everywhere. The entire second floor is devoted to engagement rings - they were pretty unbelievable.

We also ran into Bloomingdale's - I could spend an entire day in that store.

We made it to Serendipity and got right in! Thanks to making reservations a couple days in advance.

They had the best sandwiches...I will definitely go back! Serendipity is known for their forzen hot chocolate...it is to die for! We all split one but I could easily eat my own.

Evan, an intern at Today with Karly, joined us and it was so good to have her. We all enjoyed hearing about her college life at Ohio University. We walked toward Central Park and got on a subway and called it a night! I hope you had a fabulous day! I love you so much and could not think higher of you! Happy 21st love!

Broadcast Crew

2010-05-09T18:52:00.000-07:00

I'm so fortunate to share this experience with these wonderful people.

After work on Tuesday we got lunch at this fun Italian restaurant. They had quite the selection. I got this yummy fettucini alfredo dish. Another intern from Dateline named Eliana joined us for dinner. It was so fun to talk to her and learn about her life growing up in New Jersey. Sometimes I'm guilty of staying in my comfort zone of friends and I really miss opportunities to get to know others. She's a great girl and I really enjoy talking with her. After dinner, we went straight home because we had class. Our hike uphill from the subway station to the I-House has become our exercise routine for the day. We do lunges and calf raises.

Bystanders were looking at us funny. But needless to say I was sore the next day. I nice little change from my sedentary lifestyle this past semester. Don't worry come summer I will be frequenting Mountainside Fitness. Class went by fast, the easiest Comms cluster class I have ever taken - and then it was off to bed!

Whirlwind of a Week

2010-05-09T18:04:00.000-07:00

Monday came too quickly! 9:30-5:30 goes by pretty fast. We got on the subway that morning and I was drenched in sweat when we got off. It was so humid. I couldn't help but feel so sticky for the remainder of the day...disclaimer on the upcoming pictures. After work we grabbed some salads at this neat place called Half & Hearty. It was delicious. We all just sat outside on 6th Ave. and 50th St. and ate our dinner while talking about our days. It's such a blessing to be here with Kourt, Kars, and Nicole. I am one lucky girl. After dinner we headed toward tkts to see if we could grab some tickets for a show. Before you know it we are chatting with some sassy gay men and they give us 2 free tickets to Rock of The Ages. I was probably too trusting at first, but they seemed so nice! So we bought two more tickets and split the cost 4 ways. Perfect. A great show for $25...almost unheard of. We lucked out.

On our way to Brooks Atkinson Theatre We saw a CNN reporter doing her live hit in Times Square on the bombing scare the previous weekend. They looked as if they were packing up so we jumped in and started asking questions.

Turns out her name is Adriana Hauser and she reports for CNN En Espanol. She interned with ABC when she was our age and totally related to our current internship experience. She was extremely nice and even stayed to chat while her news truck went back to TimeWarner. She then climbed the ladder as a producer. Her news director encouraged her to report and she finally agreed. She gave me hope that people can start in a big market right out of college and make it in network news. However, she does have Spanish to set her apart, which is huge. I wonder if its too late to learn a new language? One would think I would have some Spanish background due to spring breaks spent in Rocky Point and living in AZ. But somehow I always remember falling asleep in Spanish I and II back in my Mountain View Toro days. The only phrase that comes to mind is "Donde estan el bano?!" Where is the bathroom? What a shame. I may result to the Rosetta Stone discs. Anyways, she was a gem. She told us exactly what we needed to hear that day. Tender mercy. New Yorkers keep surprising me with their kindness.

We made it to the theatre. I was getting real excited for the music. It was all 80's. Def Leppard, Journey, Pat Benatar, Whitesnake, etc. It reminded me of We Will Rock You, a musical I saw in London back in high school that featured all of Queen's music. Douglas would have loved this show - I knew all of the songs because of him. It was sooo good. I felt like I was at a rock concert. The lead was played by Constantine Maroulis from American Idol. And the female lead was played by Emily Padgett - remember the name, she is going places. She had the body and voice of a superstar. She made me never want to eat again. I would be reluctant to take a date to this show, it's definitely risque at times. Plus, they would think every girl should have abs like Emily's, not realistic expectations. I would go see it again in a heartbeat.

After the show, I called the fam as we walked to the subway. We made it to the I-House safe and sound. I took a much needed shower and was off to bed. What a way to start the week. I think I still have "Here I Go Again" stuck in my head.

Sunny Sunday

2010-05-08T21:37:00.000-07:00

Sunday was even busier. We went to the Manhattan 8th Ward that meets in a chapel right above the temple. The ward seems great, I'm sure they were a lil overwhelmed with 40 new BYU interns. Joel met up with us for church and it was great to see him again!

After church, we ate at a cafe for brunch. I had fluffy french toast and Scott had this yummy pesto/mozzarella omelet. I know, I know brunch on a Sunday...we may be justifying...but it's like we're on vacation right?! After that, we changed and made some stops for a scavenger hunt I had to complete for class. We rented bikes and rode all through Central Park. This is one of my favorite things I have done here. We made a huge loop around the park. We saw the ponds, baseball fields, strawberry fields, fountains, etc. So many people were out once again. I'm surprised at how active this city is. I see people running on the busy sidewalks after work. And the park was full of joggers and bike riders. The route we took had lots of hills. When joggers pass you up while riding a bike going uphill...that's probably when you know you have eaten one too many sweet pork salads from my beloved Cafe Rio. Talk about embarrassing. Scott, the cheerleader, was there with encouraging words. We did cover alot of ground on those bikes. We saw lots of street performers.

Well...clearly I wasn't too concerned with my performance on the bike...we headed to John's Pizza for dinner. This was my first NY pizza this trip and John did not let us down. I loved the pizza.
Next, we headed to the Brooklyn Bridge. We hustled to get there right at sunset. My grandma loves New York City and told me I had to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset. It was on her bucket list. When she walked it last October there was a dog parade. How funny is that?! I have noticed that surprisingly alot of people have dogs in the city. I guess it goes to show people love their pooches everywhere you go. Anyways, this was a sight to see. Probably one of the best views I have ever seen. I would highly recommend this to anyone coming!

It was our last night in the city for awhile...so it was a good way to go out.

Love Saturdays in The City

2010-05-08T20:54:00.000-07:00

Scott Maddux and I were determined to pack as many activites into our first weekend in the city. We even had planning meetings the night before to map out our days. We like to get things done! However, I did sleep in. I needed it. Our first stop - Baptisms at the Manhattan Temple. This was neat - after they heard we went to BYU they treated us like royalty. The temple is just below the chapel where we attend church. It honestly comes out of no where. It's in a very nice part of town - pictures to come! After baptisms we walked around, got a snack at Pinkberry (which beats any yogurt shop in Provo), and headed toward Central Park. We came across the cutest street market with different vendors right next to the Museum of Natural History. It was such a nice day so we just took our time looking.

I'm honestly in love with this part of the upper west side. 50 streets south of where we live makes a huge difference. We are in the projects compared to this area. Home Sweet Harlem. We even ran into a Shake Shack...I had been on a hunt since I arrived.

We explored Central Park for a couple of hours. We found the most interesting people. Our first sighting - John Lenon's Memorial. His lil fan club put flowers around the memorial while singing their version of "Hello Goodbye".

We discovered a roller skating rink that the park blocks off every weekend. This party was bumpin. Took me back to my "Skateland" days. The park veterans were there to impress and even give lessons. It was so fun to watch. Some of them were extremely talented.

Since the week had been pretty cold, the sunny weekend brought everyone to the park. And when I say everyone - I mean all 8 million people who live in this city. I didn't get the memo to wear my bikini to the park that day. Everyone else did.

People were playing smashball, throwing a football, and making human pyramids. I, on the other hand, took a nap. And it was wonderful. Then Scott and I took a taxi to meet up with his good friend and mentor for investment banking, Justin Birch. We ate a restaurant called Hillstone. It was so good, but I still had room for ice cream. Is that ever a question, really? It was so great to finally meet Justin. He has been so good to Scott during this whole internship process. So after dinner we headed to the Shake Shack...the line was ridiculous. I even stood in the quick line just for a cone and it still took awhile. The atmosphere was so neat. Very picturesque. I love the hanging lights in the park look. It's a must in the city. It was packed so I'll have to come back sometime and eat.

The rest of the night we just walked around. I think wandering New York City at night is one of my favorite things to do. And it was much safer with strong Scott. He has been working out you know.

The American Pastime

2010-05-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

Friday was the best day. I was feeling a little under the weather. I just hadn't gotten enough sleep over the past two weeks with finals, moving, traveling, etc. But that didn't stop us. Randomly, Scott ran into a good friend/mission companion, Joel, while coming to pick me up from work. We knew he was in town...but what are the odds? Out of all the streets in New York City. It was meant to be! Joel, the most talented balloon animal artist, was visiting for the weekend to see how biz-nass would be in the big apple. I went home to change and then we took the subway to Yankee Stadium. We were a little unsure how to get there so we just followed the fans in jerseys. I think some were already drunk before the game. We got off the subway and they started chanting and flipping people off. I saw a cop push one guy up against the wall and set him straight. It didn't even phase him. I couldn't stop staring. Oh, my sheltered mind. The crowd was nuts. The stadium is incredible. I had been to the old Yankee Stadium with my family for part of my senior trip three years ago. It had so much history. It looks as if they kept the similar style of architecture. It felt so good to watch a baseball game again. It had been awhile. Nothing beats a night game. My fam damily has a goal to attend a game in every major league team's stadium. Check this one off the list! We had great seats. There was the coolest party going on right below us. Our new friend Richie turned 70 that day. Thirty of this friends and family suprised him. He thought he was just going to a beloved Yanks game with his friend. Then, everyone shows up in Yankee t-shirts that read, "Richie is 70" on the back. I guess he cried. The entire party was so friendly after they had a few drinks in them! I hope my 70th is this much fun. The girl in front of us was LOVING Joel so he made her a balloon animal. Before we knew it, the entire section wanted one and started placing their orders. I took a couple of videos.

The Yankees beat the Chicago White Sox 6-4. Derek Jeter had 4 RBI's and was a double away from hitting for a cycle. Mr. October strikes again. No wonder New Yorkers love him.

It was here that I felt the closest to New York culture. Thanks, Yanks for a great night.

So Happy

2010-05-06T20:04:00.000-07:00

To have this guy pick me up from work everyday last week! It was my favorite part of the day. On Wednesday, Scott stood in line at tkts to get tickets for "Come Fly Away" with all of Frank Sinatra's vocals. So after dinner we headed over the Marquis Theatre. This show was different than any other I had been to. There was no dialogue. It was all dancing! They were unreal. I couldn't believe the talent. I always leave shows feeling so inadequate. I highly recommend this one!
I don't have pictures from this night - they're on Scott's camera so...to be continued.

Scott Maddux Visits NY

2010-05-06T19:14:00.000-07:00

This boy has waited a long time to make an appearance on the blog. And what better time to introduce than on his birthday?!

He turned the big 2-3 on April 27th. I sure hope he had a great day. He met me in Times Square and then we explored a bit. It was so good so see him! The kid has traveled to New York five times in the past seven months for internship purposes. He knows the city so well. I took advantage of his sense of direction all week and just followed him around. Now that he's gone, I have to learn for myself!

We shopped around for awhile and then went to dinner in Soho at a mexican restaurant called La Esquina. This place was so unique. Scott had been there before so he knew the ropes. It looks like a little taco shop from the outside, but once 6:00 hits they open the basement door and start letting people down the stairs. The lighting was very dim and the atmosphere was so fun. The picture doesn't do it justice.

Next, we just walked around the city at night and Scott showed me where his brother and sister-in-law used to live. It was such a pretty area. They were a block away from a Magnolia Bakery...not a bad gig. We stopped by and I ordered a divine red velvet cupcake and Scott got his usual banana cream pudding. Both were delish.

Sex and The City...What?!

We took the subway home but got off on a stop further from the I-House. Bad move. We walked right through the heart of Harlem - I won't sugarcoat things - I was scared. Thank heavens for Scott Maddux! Happy Birthday! I hope 23 is the best year yet!

First Week in The City

2010-05-06T17:05:00.000-07:00

I'm terrible. I have been in New York for over a week and have yet to blog. WARNING - picture overload...

I arrived last Monday after my lay over was delayed for 3+ hours in Chicago. Our shuttle drove recklessly through the city streets and I swear made record time from LaGuardia to the I-House. I couldn't help but laugh. That night, I checked in, found my room, and unpacked. I definitely lucked out in the room department. I have the best view overlooking the Hudson and a park. I love waking up it every morning. I also have my own sink which is extremely convienent. My room is right next to the men's bathroom, so the first night I had a rude awakening. Lots of males. Ethnic males. Ethnic males in towels. A little different than waking up to the girls of 426. I figured the girls' bathroom was just down the hall as well. Little did I know. I was too quick to strip down and grab my shower caddy. Before I knew it I was wandering the entire hall...in a towel...looking for the girls'bathroom which happens to be on the opposite side of the floor. Real nice seeing as how I have to go in the middle of the night, every night. Ridiculous. All in all, I'm familiarizing myself with the I-House and I feel very safe here which is comforting, seeing as how we live in Harlem.

Last Tuesday was orientation day. I got my I.D. and other creditials taken care of. Then we went exploring to find the best route to work for the next day.

This is in 30 Rock...just as you enter.

Cute Karly! J. Crew is on the first floor of our building. How fitting. NBC isn't telling us how to dress or anything! Did I mention Anthropologie is right across the street? And all of the stores on Fifth Avenue are not even a block away. Needless to say, our lunch breaks are pretty busy!

Work is going great. The exposure is almost overwhelming. I ran into Ann Curry in the halls on our first day. I just stared at her. She was so pleasant. Rumor has it...she talks to all of the Dateline interns each semester...I cannot wait to pick her brain. Also, yesterday Nicole and I were eating lunch on one of the benches just outside of 30 Rock and we saw Brian Williams from Nightly News. He looked at us funny, so we said hi and told him we are interns with NBC. He said, "I thought you looked familiar." Haha, we have never seen him. Bless his heart, he was being nice. Probably thought we were someone else. Anyways, I have been asked not to blog about things I work on at Dateline...so this blog will cover things outside of 9:30 - 5:30 Monday - Friday.

Shout out to the Marriot School...

We strolled through Times Square and came across this cool little information center. They had a past New Years Eve ball on display.

People wrote their hopes and dreams on a piece of confetti that was dropped when the clock struck twelve. It was touching to see what some wished for.

Sayings ranged from "I hope to sell my car this year," to "I wish my love would marry me in 2010."

After enjoying the girls for a couple of hours, it was time to party with Scott Maddux. He got in from Boston that afternoon. And I couldn't wait to see him considering it was his birthday!

Check.

2010-04-24T14:55:00.000-07:00

The last two weeks have been huge in the life of Kylee.

We finished our final newscast of the semester and I said goodbye to the Monday crew. We had a great group of people. I'm sad to see the graduates go, but so excited to hear of their new jobs. There's hope. One can get a job in this industry.

3rd Semester with the Daily News - Check.

I spent long days and sleepless nights in the Harold B. Lee Library.

5 Finals.
1 Resume Reel.
COMPLETE.

I took 17 credits this semester...never again. I took Accounting 200 for the second time around... seeing as how I received I letter grade that we will not speak of. Thankfully, I re-took the class before BYU changes its policy. Look out Cougs, if you need to re-take a class, do so before fall of 2011 - they will start taking the average of both grades, instead of the higher. Phew. Needless to say, round two - aced that B....
I think I have spent more time in the library this year than any other. For some of us, it's a social scene (cough...Katelin). For others, it provides great spots for napping.

Regardless, Harold B. has been good to us. Made lots of new friends. I'm glad another insane, chaotic finals week is over.

Junior Year at BYU - Check.

I took my last final Wednesday night, just as the Testing Center closed. Fitting. I think that's one of the best feelings in the world. I then spent most of the night and Thursday morning moving out of Alpine Village. I forget how much stuff my little cubicle holds. My roomies are the best and let me keep some of my stuff there for spring/summer. Connor was up for the week so we left Provo Thursday afternoon and pulled into beautiful Mesa just before one in the morning.

Moving out of Alpine, only to return in 4 months - Check.

The last 24 hours have consisted of sleeping 9 hour nights, getting my Mexican food fix, pedicures with sweet Mendi Sue, shopping for NYC, long chats with Douglas, Misty's muscle class - I HAVE to get in shape this summer, countless loads of laundry, getting unpacked, and then repacking for New York.

Packing for New York - Pending.

It's been wonderful being home for these few days, a nice change of pace. My family is the best a girl could ask for. How grateful I am for big dreams. How grateful I am for parents who have always told me I could accomplish anything. They have always said I could have the best of both worlds. And I believe them. I'm holding them to it. I'm thrilled for this next adventure in a new city. New York, you are mine for the next two months. Get excited.

Personal Code of Conduct

2010-04-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the semester I was asked to define journalism and what it means to be a journalist. At first this question reminded me of something Socrates might ask a broadcast journalism student. He was known to pose simple, yet complex questions to people regarding the heart of what they study. For instance, he would ask lawyers, "What is ethics?" or artists, "What is beauty?" I assume he was trying to question their real knowledge in their chosen field. He would ask questions, and in turn hope that would create more questions. There it is - the Socratic Method. So now, as a budding broadcast student, it is my turn. I learn something new about my major each day, so I don't claim to be an expert, or anything close to it. However, over the course of the semester we have studied many facets of journalism, some that I have not thought of before. My thoughts have evolved, to say the least. So, here is my best attempt.
First and foremost, I feel that journalism is ever changing, especially in today's world with new technology and mass media. Journalism is the skill of conveying news and information through different mediums, including television, newspapers, magazines, radio, and the Internet. It is the process of gathering information, performing intense research, sometimes on a time crunch, and presenting it to the public in a way that will be informative and beneficial to them. I aspire to be a television news reporter. I want to work with people. I want to meet individuals from various backgrounds, interview them, learn about them, and tell their story. I feel strongly that I have been directed to this major and industry to meet people and interact with them. I’m aware of the long road ahead. I’m aware of the sleepless nights, long hours, and meager paychecks. I know journalists are overworked and underpaid. I know reporting is not the ideal “mom job.” And yet, I’m still here. Why, you ask? Let me tell you.
It’s been said that a journalist should be a “jack of all trades and master of none”. Journalists should have an insatiable curiosity about what is going on in the world. Therefore, they should know a little about a variety of topics. In his book, The Mind of A Journalist, Jim Willis explained, “A nationwide survey of reporters revealed the following areas related to curiosity as prime positives of the profession for these responders: learning new things every day, meeting newsmakers, covering a variety of stories, and having a status as an insider,” (3). My interests cover all of these bases. As a reporter for the BYU Daily News, I enjoyed covering a variety of stories, learning the details, and knowing them before most of the public. Thus, I feel journalism is a great fit for my personality.
The nature of the industry is extremely deadline oriented. In the workforce most journalists are assigned a story in the morning or afternoon and expected to have their piece ready for multiple newscasts that evening. Consequently, you are almost always on a time crunch. Journalists have to make critical decisions quickly. In the moment, your personal ethics may be questioned. It’s beneficial to have your boundaries drawn and mind made up for these instances. A personal code of conduct should be adapted and implemented by every journalist as a guideline to live by on and off the clock. Specific topics in my personal code of conduct refer to truth, verification, public vigilance, and the watchdog role of journalists.
Truth is the primary mission and first obligation in journalism. Truth is the essence of news. As reporters, we must seek the truth and present it to the public with utmost clarity. Viewers turn to the news to learn and think about the world beyond themselves. Therefore, it must be accurate and reliable. Two tests of truth are getting the facts straight and making sense of the facts. Journalistic truth is seeking the correct facts, presenting them in the most unbiased manner possible, and showing both sides to the story. I know that every journalist has a unique background with individual experiences that shape the lens in which they view the world. It’s absolutely impossible to fully check these biases at the door. However, I will make a conscious effort to understand my biases and how they might affect my presentation of the story. Then, I can take proper precautions and ensure the balance of both sides.
The book, The Elements of Journalism, by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel states, “The essence of journalism is a discipline of verification” (79). This makes complete sense. Verification is achieved through obtaining multiple interviews, sources from both sides, and disclosing as much information as possible. When breaking news occurs it’s tempting to publish it immediately so your station or newspaper can “break the story”, or cover it first. Also, it may be tempting just to publish another story because it’s already out there. But, if the material is published and has not been verified, it can be detrimental to the news provider. Their credibility and accuracy can easily be lost. As a journalist, I will get the facts, be fair with the facts, and then reveal to the audience where I got the facts. In essence, I will practice journalism of verification and thus will obtain credibility.
Furthermore, public vigilance is also essential to journalism. Journalists’ first loyalty is to the citizens. We report to and for the public. We work to give a voice to the voiceless. We become familiar with our market, our demographics, and what our audience cares about. Only then will we be able to find and report on stories that are of interest to them. However, we must not only inform them, but also do it in an engaging and interesting manner. We must first grab their attention. Journalists engage viewers by learning who they are. Also, a journalist must make their stories relevant. If the viewer feels relatable to the story their connection will bring them back for more. How do we make our audience interested? We must be great storytellers. We must find people who are tied to the story and tell the story through their eyes. We must conduct stories on issues and trends that are happening currently. Tell the story in a unique manner and people will continue to watch. For example, I did a story last year on the Hunger Banquet at BYU. I knew my audience and decided to start and end my story with sound bites from a student who had witnessed hunger first hand on a trip to Africa. I feel this technique was successful in grabbing the attention of the audience. I will always try and present the stories I cover in the most engaging and relatable manner possible.
Additionally, journalists also fill the role of watchdog on the government. Journalism is viewed as the fourth branch or entity of the government in addition to the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Journalists have the responsibility to find the truth for their audience. This entails asking the tough questions and conducting investigations. We must question those that make influential decisions that will affect society. Personally, I feel that it’s essential to have an independent audit for all parties. A balancing check can only help. I would deal with this concept much more if I decided to do political reporting, which I have thought about. What a powerful role political journalists have. If my career takes me this route I will ask the tough questions. I will cover the issues that are most important to my audience.
I define excellence in journalism as finding interesting story ideas that affect the public, conducting extensive research, and verifying the facts by interviewing multiple people from both sides. And finally, going live and telling your viewer to listen up - this is what I've been working on all day - and here's why it's important to you. I plan to live these principles stated above as a broadcast journalism student at BYU and continue implementing them in the workforce as well. Having this code in writing will hold me accountable. When the time comes it will be easier to make the right decision. I will choose truth over ratings, credibility over money. As of now, this is what I want to do with my life. Hopefully you find that satisfactory, Socrates.

It's Official...

2010-04-11T20:51:00.000-07:00

In two weeks I will fly out of my beloved Sky Harbor Airport and arrive in the Big Apple.

I will be living at the International House where 700 students from 100 different countries reside while attending various schools in the city. It's in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in Manhattan's Upper West Side.

I will be interning with NBC Dateline at 30 Rock...a dream come true.

My title: Editorial Assistant
Hours: 8:30 - 5:30
Job Description: research for investigative newsmagazine pieces, assist on shoots, log tape, etc.
I cannot wait for this network exposure. It will be unlike anything I have ever experienced.
So bring on the late nights and early mornings.
Bring on the jogs through Central Park and the evenings in Times Square.
Bring on the shopping sprees on Canal St. and the fine dining at Carnegie Deli.
Bring on the baseball games, musicals, and museums.
New York, I am yours for the summer. Bring on the adventure.
As for now...all I want to study is this:

But, I can't help but be distracted by six exams I have to take before I peace out of Provo. Good luck to all my fellow Cougs.

Engagement & Relevance in Journalism

2010-04-08T09:23:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, I think Group #12 presented their information on engagement and relevance in an engaging and relatable manner. Good work guys!
So what is engagement regarding journalism? I feel that our number one priority is informing citizens. We have a commitment to the citizens. But not only must we inform them, we must do it in an engaging and interesting manner. How often do we watch a news story and then wonder what it was about? We must first get their attention. And in order to do that, we must know our audience. We must know the demographic that we reach. We must know the sex, age, race, etc. of our viewers. Then, we have a better chance of compiling stories that they would watch. Advertisers also benefit from knowing their demographics. I attended a lecture by Joe Ebinger, a media consultant, this week and he mentioned that network nightly news programs are still reaching the most people. He encouraged us to be aware of the commercials during these programs. We would find lots of ads for hearing aids and various medicines. We work for the viewer. We must deliver them to the last line. Audience research is not to be left to the marketers or sponsors but to journalists. Bottom line: journalists engage readers by learning who they are. I loved the comparision Group #12 made with getting engaged to someone and how to engage an audience. Clever. Clearly, you first have to socialize, and then find someone you are interested in, get to know them, communicate, date and spend time together, and finally pop the question. Similarly, journalists must get to know their audience by interacting, communicating, and learning about them.
Now for relevance. If you make your stories/show relevant then people will continue to watch. They will feel connected. They will feel invested. So, how do we, as journalists, do that? How do we make our audience interested? We must be great storytellers. We must find people who are tied to the story and tell the story through their eyes. We must conduct stories on issues and trends that are happening currently. Tell the story in a unique manner and people will continue to watch. My good friend and colleague, Garrett Tenney, is a master storyteller. He is going places. His piece last summer entitled "Camp Cartwheel" is worth watching. He gets hooks people right away, keeps their interest, and leaves them wanting more. In the end, that's what it's all about.

Comms 239 Extra Credit Lecture

2010-04-07T19:45:00.000-07:00

I had the opportunity to attend a lecture by Jonathan Ebinger, a Washington D.C. based media consultant and educator. He was a producer for the ABC News Program, “Nightline” and has been in the business for years. His presentation was informative regarding national network news and the drastic shift that the Internet brings to this industry. He mentioned that ABC News cut 25 percent of their employees. He also stated that national nightly news programs have decreased as well. Television news stations are not gaining young people as viewers and losing people across the board regarding age. However, network evening news is still reaching the most people. At the end of the day, news is a business. This new shift means that fewer people must perform more jobs. Ebinger said that the negative side of this new shift is quality. Fewer people working for a station means there are fewer eyes and hands to catch mistakes and fix them.

Clearly, as a college student graduating next year, I was curious as to how I can best prepare and equip myself for the workforce. Ebinger said writing is the most important skill. He isn’t the first one to give me this advice. Yes, all of the technical skills I need to attain are significant, but regardless, writing is essential. But if there is anything I have learned in the broadcast journalism program it’s that the more skills we bring to the table the more valuable we are. Ebinger also said recent college grads that enter the workforce have much more authority than they might think. This is simply due to smaller news staff. There are less people to go through to get things approved.

Also, social media is becoming more accepted. Public information is everywhere. We are able to learn about people with the click of a mouse. With new social media sites such as, Facebook, Blogger, and Twitter, and the online sites of newspapers and news stations, there is a constant stream of information.

Ebinger said, “We must feed the beast.” Honestly, I find it difficult to remember where I find my facts to certain stories because I have various resources. Overall, I found his presentation quite insightful. His exposure to network news is unbeatable.

Comprehensive & Proportional Journalism

2010-04-04T10:38:00.000-07:00

"Journalists should keep the news comprehensive and in proportion," (Elements, 208). Journalism is mapmaking. We create a map for people to navigate society. Clearly, we cannot cover everything. But as our text indicates we, as citizens, need to ask these questions: "Can we see the whole community in the coverage? Do I see myself? Does the report include a fair mix of what most people would consider either interesting or significant," (209). As journalists, we pick what stories to cover. As producers, we format the newscasts. We are in charge of what the public sees.
When it comes to balancing hard news versus entertainment journalism I feel that there are many viewpoints. Personally, I am biased to hard news and feel that it's much more credible than shows such as Entertainment Tonight. Recently, I was asked if I would be interested in entertainment reporting and to be honest, I was a little offended. I guess it's just not my thing. I would rather report on a recent election or even some kind of human interest feature piece than tell viewers where Britney Spears' next tour stop is located.
Another topic that we discussed in class and that I found interesting was that of sensationalism. How can we resist sensationalism and keep the news in proportion? I think the answer lies in finding a balance. I don't think we chould isolate the journalist from reality - but we should educate with a better understanding. The topic of Michael Jackson's death coverage was a hot topic in class. It was compared to the 9/11 tragedy and how CNN showed footage for weeks. Personally, I don't think the two are comparable. I was in London on a study abroad this past summer when Michael Jackson died. The next day The Evening Standard, a London newspaper, had headlines "London Blamed for Jackson's Death" on the front page. London was his first stop on his new tour and his training was thought to do him in. Clearly, the city of London did not kill Jackson. The headline was ridiculous. But this sensationalism sells newspapers. However, The National Enquirer, a notorious sensationalist publication, is now up for a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage on the John Edwards scandal. So, is the National Enquirer credible? Is the Pulitzer Prize credible? (Thank-you Josh Guest for your comment in class!)
Another issue we talked about in class is that of research. Research helps journalists make judgment but it doesn't replace their judgment. It's a helpful tool. Focus groups are an inexpensive form of market research. But there are some problems with focus groups. They are not scientific, nor objective. They are hard to replicate - the discussion is different every time. And they're easily swayed by a single member of the group or unintentionally by the focus group leader. Bottom line: we need to stop approaching viewers as customers, but as citizens.

Journalism and Faith

2010-03-25T09:25:00.000-07:00

I can't help but feel that religion is extremely individual and personal for each human being. People interpret things in different ways. That's probably why I sometimes cringe at news stories or articles based on religion. Yes, I feel it imperative that we learn of others' faiths. But, I feel that the majority of stories have somewhat negative connotations. This is not anything foreign to the news community. Usually, if it bleeds it leads. Meaning, people watch the gruesome stories, the adulterous stories, the criminal stories. Maybe society would learn more about each religion if we did focus more on the good. I am not saying that all stories on differing religions need to be rainbows and butterflies. However, an informative piece here and there wouldn't hurt. I feel that this article here in TIME magazine does a good job of covering the facts of Mormonism - and when they insert opinions they make it clear they are just opinions. I think learning is so much better than bashing one's religion.
"Many people about whom journalists write are inspired by their faith and use their faith in dealing with the challenges and tragedies that they face," (Mind, 81). This reminds me of a recent story covered by KSL and Entertainment Tonight among others. Marie Osmond's son committed suicide this past month and the funeral was held in Provo. President Monson spoke at the funeral and his words were directed to the family. Reporters were there. Cameras were not allowed inside. KSL's religion & arts reporter, Carole Mikita, attended the funeral and then reported on it that day. I thought she did a great job showing how the family's faith got them through their loss. She didn't go into little details and the story was not focused on the suicide, but on the service. I think this story is what most should aim for when dealing with similar situations.
I also feel that a piece of our conscience will be in all of our stories. We have discussed in previous class periods how we cannot fully check our biases at the door when covering a story. Religion is no execption. Personally, I am not one who is dying to read the latest religion piece, honestly, I find them somewhat dull. I agree with what was said in class: Religion is a hard-to sell story. Journalists only like to talk about things they can prove. Our job description is based on finding and reporting the facts. Therefore, it's hard to tell of things people say they know from a higher source.
I thought the statistic shared in class that 81% of Americans said that prayer was an important part of their lives was a little surprising. From personal experience, I feel that I would not have chosen this major without some divine intervention. I feel that in a medium that has taken such a hard hit in recent years, journalism needs good, honest people in the industry. I can't help but feel that I am supposed to meet people from different backgrounds through this career. I know I would not be here if it weren't for my Heavenly Father putting people and various opportunities in my life to get me this far. In one way or another, He has helped me in each story.

Mesa in March

2010-03-19T11:04:00.000-07:00

Why do I live in Provo? Everytime I leave home to head back up to school after Christmas break I ask myself this question. But, I have not been to Mesa in the month of March since my senior year of high school...three years ago. (Man, I'm getting up there). I found after our little trip this past weekend...it was even harder to leave.

The weather was beautiful. We just beat the orange blossoms...bummer. Sunny with a high of 75.

There was one point in our eventful drive that I will never forget. We were driving through the canyon between St. George and Vegas. Kate was reading "The Last Lecture" to me and we both were crying our eyes out. Just bawling. Great book - go get it. We made pretty good time both ways. Except for the dam traffic...we were at a dead stop for about 10 minutes. Kate did some investigating...

The little Sherlock decided it was due to road construction...right she was!

We even got a litte giddy at our first QT sighting.

It was so wonderful to be welcomed home by these two!

Oh how I have missed them!

We made it safely to the Hink household, but as I pulled out of their driveway I felt something funny...my wheel was veering to left. I didn't think anything of until the next morning when my entire car was lopsided. Turns out...bad flat tire. We drove over 700 miles and it happened when we got home? Tender mercy. I was so grateful! Could you imagine...Katelin and Kylee pulled over on the side of the road somewhere between Kingman and Wickenburg...bad news. I may be ignorant, but not stupid...I double-checked and made sure the Triple A card was in my wallet before we left. Still, that could have been no bueno. Needless to say, Douglas spent an hour teaching me how to change a tire. He's the best.

Next up...Nicole and Sam's Wedding. They looked beautiful! Just beaming. They could not have picked a better day to get married. The weather was prime. Remind me to get married in March.

Colee and I played softball together throughout high school. She is one of the best girls I know. I remember watching her practice and thinking, "Is this girl for real?!" She worked so hard, yet had so much fun. Every day is brighter with Nicole. She is a party. She comes from one of the best families I know. They are such great people. During long weekend softball tournaments I felt as if they were my own. Lisa and Marv are so supportive, loving, and welcoming. Cliche, I know...but I feel honored and blessed to have them in my life.

And...it was great to see some of our good friends who got back from their missions. He's baccckkkk...the one and only Micah Yetter.

Ladies and gentlemen...your 2007 3-Pt. Basketball Shootout State Champion...Jesse Blair. He's nicer than ever.

Hellooo Senior Prom Dates!

So great to see Mal Pal.

And...the happy married couple.

You made such a beautiful bride, Nicole. Sam Shreeve, you are one lucky guy. I could not be happier for you two. Everything turned out just as I had hoped! Well...another one down...they're dropping like flies.

Ethics in Journalism

2010-03-18T08:37:00.000-07:00

Each journalist must have a personal code of ethics in order to obtain any credibility in the field. We all have a conscience, which helps us to know right from wrong. Even if our personal compasses do not point due north in every decision, when we work in the field of journalism our integrity is being watched and therefore, cannot be compromised. A journalist's conscience plays a huge role in his/her day-to-day life. Personally, I think a journalist should already have a plan if a decision arises. Yes, it's a deadline-oriented field. Yes, it's an extremely stressful industry. But, if this is your path, then you know of possible circumstances that can arise. It's best to already know how you will respond if the opportunity to plagiarize comes about. Here are some predesigned guidelines. Sure, when you are under a crunch you may be tempted to take a short-cut or use someone else's work without proper citation. I feel if you have your mind made up those thoughts are less likely to enter.

Newsrooms need not only a diversity of races, but also a diversity of backgrounds. Each individual brings something unique to the table. We all have various backgrounds. Did we grow up in big city, or a small suburb? Everything in our past shapes us into what we are today. Here are some diversity guidelines that some newsrooms have already adopted. If you have a newsroom full of people with similar mindsets, how is that going to help your audience? Your audience is most likely a wide array of various people with differing backgrounds. A newsroom should almost be a small sample size of the targeted audience.

I feel that every journalist is responsible for ethical journalism. Every person that works to print a newspaper or works to get the newscast on throughout the day should be dedicated and work toward high ethical standards. I also think an ethical journalist has the public's best interest at heart. Bob Woodward is one that comes to mind. Because newsrooms are not democracies they are dictatorships, news directors must be ethical journalists. They are ultimately in charge.

I agree with most of what was said in class. I thought this presentation was extremely informative and it made me think of new ideas as well. I also feel that ideally, newsrooms should be a place where diversity and conscience can thrive. I do feel that our appearance, personality, and qualities could stop us from rising in this profession. It is the role of citizens, not consumers, to watch what they support so specific ratings increase and journalists know where they stand.

Watchdog Journalism

2010-03-10T10:49:00.000-08:00

One of the main duties journalists fulfill is that of a watchdog. This is one of the first and most important things I learned in my beginning journalism courses. Journalism is viewed as the fourth branch or entity of the government in addition to the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Journalists have the responsibility to find the truth for their audience. This entails asking the tough questions and conducting investigations. We must question those that make influential decisions that will affect society. I liked the quote by comedian Finley Peter Dunne shared in class regarding the purpose of journalism to "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable." I hadn't heard this before but it makes sense. However, this phrase does aid in the misunderstanding of the watchdog principle. The Committee of Concerned Journalists says, "The concept is deeper and more nuanced than the literal sense of afflicting or comforting would suggest. As history showed us, it more properly means watching over the powerful few in society on behalf of the many to guard against tyranny." Here are some examples of the watchdog principle misunderstood. We truly are in this business to help people, to give a voice to the voiceless. We must inform the public when powerful institutions are not performing up to par as well as when they are excelling.

In the end, I feel that all reporting is investigative. It's part of our job description. We must be curious. We must consider other alternatives. There are two sides to every story and we must cover them both. However, there are particular stories and involve more undercover work than others. Some suggest that with the decline of newspapers investigative journalism will cease to exist. An article I read suggests the increase of online-only outfits focused on investigative journalism will prove most successful.

I enjoyed this presentation and class discussion. Personally, I feel that it's essential to have an independent audit for all parties. A balancing check can only help. I have pondered on the thought posed in class, "Can we ever stop being journalists?" I feel that it's extremely difficult to put down the notepad of facts and pick up the hat of advocacy. In relation to social media sites...we do need to watch what we blog about, what we highlight in our Tweets, and what we post as our Facebook status.

Ideology and the Journalist

2010-03-04T09:46:00.000-08:00

"Objectivity. Detachment. Impartiality. Many journalists wear these credentials as a referee in a football game might wear his pinstripes to indicate his neutral role on the playing field...in reality - journalists can no more disconnect themselves from their worldviews and value systems than can anyone else," (The Mind of a Journalist, 61). In class, we discussed how journalists, or anyone for that matter, cannot be truly objective in any situation. I agree with the notion that our experiences, backgrounds, upbringings, etc., affect us in such a way that we really never can check our biases at the door. Many newsrooms have Codes of Ethics, such as this one that states, "He/she is, and must be, basically objective, especially in his/her interpretation of events in daily life and in attributing to each news item the location, space, importance, interpretation that it truly deserves." Ironic, huh? I think so. How are newsrooms supposed to require their reporters to be objective, when it's essentially impossible? I think they should encourage their journalists to find the facts and be as balanced as possible. Michael Perlstein said regarding objectivity, "A nobel goal, perhaps, but a goal that can never be attained," (Mind, 63).
Sociologist, Herbert J. Gans described eight different journalstic values (I have linked some examples):
1. Ethnocentrism - Viewing the world through the lens of your own culture. Onmy study abroad to London, England, we talked alot about trying to break down those barriers that cause us to judge different cultures. We must learn to be as open-minded as possible.
2. Altruistic Democracy - Writing articles on "government for the people by the people"
3. Responsible Capitalism - Threats to this value are seen as news
4. Order - Crime is a big news story because it's a threat to Americans who value order.
5. Moderatism - Americans fear extremites like fascism or communism.
6. Leadership - Journalists can focus on poor leaders as well as heroes who lead others out of trouble.
7. Small-Town Pastoralism - longing for simpler times, nostalgia.
8. Rugged Individualism - living the American Dream
These are all reasons why reporters choose the stories they do.
Is the media as a whole biased? FOX News has said they are conservative, to offset the other news stations' liberal views. But, John Goldberg, who currently works for FOX but used to work at CBS for years said that there was rampant bias in CBS, more so than FOX. People may argue that the media is too liberal.
Personally, I think that ideology should be recognized. Clearly, we are not going to get rid of it, so people must be wary and take it into consideration.

The Little Sister I Never Had

2010-02-28T20:59:00.000-08:00

My cute friend, Carli Shockey, came to visit this weekend! Her present from "Santa" this past Christmas was a roundtrip ticket to Utah for a fun-filled weekend in Provo with yours truly. Carli is one of the main constants in my life. She is one of the people I ALWAYS see when I go home. We talk every Sunday. She fills me in on her life full of friends, dance, and sixth grade lovin. I fill her in on school, exams, roommates, and BYU life. I introduce her as the little sister I never had. It was such a treat to have her visit. We had a pretty busy schedule.
THURSDAY:
- Picked her up from the airport...it was a dramatic reunion
- Once we got to Provo, made a stop at In-n-Out for dinner
- Went to Scott's Basketball game
- Watched Katelin dance in the RB...we all performed the Mt. View fight song...
- Watched the Olympics
- Talked until we fell asleep
FRIDAY:
- Tour of BYU
- Tour of the newsroom...a possible budding journalist?
- Lunch at one of Provo's best, Zupas!
- U of U vs. BYU Gymnastics Meet
- Dinner at Tucano's with friends
- Fell asleep watching Step Up
Saturday:
- Carli helped us pass our Cleaning Check
- Spring Sing practice with the ward
- UNM v. BYU Basketball game...rough loss
- Dinner at Bajio...thank-you Scott Maddux
- Music, Dance, Theatre Showcase in the HFAC
- Sang our little hearts out to the High School Musical Soundtrack
- The long-awaited, most-anticipated trip to Smart Cookie in American Fork

SUNDAY:
- Slept in
- Introduced Carli to the Student Single's Ward...(a boy asked if she was our new roommate...no, you perv!)

- Headed to Salt Lake
- Toured Temple Square
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Then it was time for the rough goodbye. I always hate goodbyes with Carli. Good thing I will see her in a couple weeks. She is such a sweetheart, the most mature 12-year-old I know. I do think she is 12 going on 22. I was lucky to have her for myself for the weekend. Thanks for coming Carli, my air mattress is always waiting for you! I love you!

Independence & Journalism

2010-02-25T11:13:00.000-08:00

What is opinion’s role in journalism? I found a website that gives statistics that are somewhat interesting. This stats measure the extent to which stories contained opinion from the journalists themselves in ways that they do not attribute to any source or other reporting.
For the most part, journalists on the network evening news kept themselves out of their reporting. The vast majority stories (83%) did not contain any direct opinion from journalists.

Morning news, despite its heavy emphasis on interviewing, contained even less journalistic opinion (just 11% of stories).
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As we discussed in class, journalists must maintain an independence from those they cover. But how does a journalist keep an independence from those they cover? How can someone who's partial be objective? Some suggestions mentioned in the presentation were accuracy, verification, serving the larger public interest, and possessing a desire to inform. Journalistic independence is keeping one's interests and opinions out of the lives and viewpoints of those they are reporting on. It is not getting involved in different events and the lives of those you are covering. For example, the Society of Professional Journalists slammed NBC for getting involved with the David Goldman story and chartering a flight to get him and his 9-year-old son home from Brazil. In this article, NBC is criticized for helping Goldman and then reporting his story. Goldman was interviewed on the flight home. And shortly after their return he was interviewed on the Today Show and was part of a two-hour Dateline special.
Other research articles that I have found suggest that journalist independence requires that codes of ethics or codes of conduct must be drawn up by the professionals themselves.

William Peter Hamilton, one of the first men to hold the job of editorial page editor of The Wall Street Journal, wrote, "Don't believe the man who tells you there are two sides to every question. There is only one side to the truth." This Wall Street Journal article explains the relation of truth and journalism further.

Also, I completely agree with the statement, "Anyone can be a journalist, but not everyone is." Anyone can really report on stories...but few choose to take an objective stance. Another quote I really liked, "Comment is free, but facts are sacred," by C.P. Scott. Again, anyone can state how they are feeling, but it takes work to find the facts.

Miss McKenzie

2010-02-20T14:52:00.000-08:00

This Girl...

Is one of the best people I know.
Name: McKenzie Leigh Porter...(soon to be Allen).
Age: 20
Birthday: May 24, 1989
Major: Nursing
Home: Mesa, AZ
Status: ENGAGED.
Date: May 8, 2010.
One of my best friends is tying the knot! And I couldn't be happier for her! She is glowing. Kenz and I became besties our 9th grade year as Stapley Sabercats. She invited me over to her house for a BBQ and we played in the monsoon weather. She LOVES monsoons. And the rest was history. We did everything together. Our class schedules were almost identical. We got each other through high school as well...go toros. We were involved in all of the same clubs, activities, and groups. (Student Council, Best Buddies, Toro Links, NHS, Lumber-Jack club, Powder Puff...you name it, we did it. Together.) I feel like we never had a set "group" of friends, we jumped around from group to group. But we usually came and went as pair. She's the perfect person to experience things with.

She was a Newport frequent. Came every summer and put up with the Knoles crew.

She is the most kind, outgoing, smart, driven, understanding, and pure girl I know.

As long as Kenz was with me, my parents always let me attend the desired hangout or party. There's so much safety that comes with Kenz. She ALWAYS does the right thing. No questions asked. She is and has been such an incredible example to me. I admire her strength, her dicipline, and her motivation. She is one of the most loyal and dependable friends anyone could ask for.

I love you Kenz...you will always have a place in my heart. I cherish all of our memories and can't wait to see what life has in store for you. You will be such a wonderful wifey.

Cory Allen, I know you know how great she is. May you count your many blessings.

Verification & Journalism

2010-02-18T09:41:00.000-08:00

I was extremely impressed with this presentation as well. Good work guys! I actually have never heard the quote from The Elements of Journalism that states, “The essence of journalism is a discipline of verification” (79). It makes complete sense. “Practices such as seeking multiple witnesses to an event disclosing as much as possible about sources, and asking many sides for comment are, in effect, tools in the discipline of verification. These methods may be intensely personal and idiosyncratic” (79).

When breaking news occurs it’s tempting to publish it immediately so your station or newspaper can “break the story” or cover it first. Also, it may be tempting just to publish another story because it is already out there. But, if material is published that has not been verified, it can be detrimental to the news provider. Their credibility and accuracy can easily be lost. Therefore, objectivity is a method not an aim. Reporters must get the facts, be fair with the facts, and then reveal to the audience where they got the facts. Recently, The New York Times wouldn’t correct errors in two articles that contained certain statements that question their verification methods. Here is a link to an explanation.

Journalism of verification takes time to check the facts, interview multiple people, etc. Whereas, journalism of assertion can be aggressive and careless. For example, while working the assignment desk for the BYU Daily News, I found breaking news from the KSL website regarding a bomb threat at Juab High School and Juab Middle School just before we were about to go live. I informed our news director of the findings and he asked, "Has that been verified?" I think that was my first experience with actually understanding verification. I called the Juab Sheriff's Department and they confirmed the information and told me officers were responding. That is journalism of verification. However, what if I just ran the story based on the information I found online? Even if it's from a reliable news source, if I wouldn't have called and just ran the story I would be practicing journalism of assertion. I'm glad I was able to experience this first hand in a somewhat stressful situation.

Every reporter has a bias based on their past experiences, background, and upbringing. Because it's impossible to communicate without engaging some of these biases, they must be controlled. As journalists, we must do our best to take a step back and see the whole picture, try to see both sides. Verification affects journalistic biases because it allows reporters to gather more information regarding the specific topic, which hopefully gives them a better understanding to the story.

Transparency is vital in journalism. The more you reveal, the more credible you are. We should reveal as much information as possible. With the advancements of new technologies, journalists are able to be more transparent. For example, with interactive news and blogs the public can see entire interviews as opposed to specific clips the reporter edits. Therefore, journalists must watch how they ask questions, their responses, anything that could dictate what side they would be on. Also, journalists need to practice intellectual humility. People understand that we are human and appreciate the honesty about what we know and what we don't know. We should not claim to be omniscient, it will damage our credibility. Overall, verification is essential to successful reporting.

Dollar Scoop Night Delight

2010-02-14T09:04:00.000-08:00

For my MCOM class we were instructed to buy something for a stranger, watch their reaction, and blog about the experience. So late last night, after watching a rough intramural basketball loss, we decided to try my little experiment at Baskin Robbin's Dollar Scoop Night. After ordering my regular mint chocolate-chip scoop, I gave the cashier a couple of extra dollars to buy the next customer's purchase. He was confused at first but once I explained he was in on the fun. We sat down and watched.

I was unsure as to when the cashier was going to make his move. But, after a big group of people left he approached me and asked, "Did you see it?!" Haha, I told him I didn't really catch their full reaction so he elaborated. He said they were shocked and very excited. But, it wasn't the customer's reaction I had the most fun with; it was the cashiers'. They kept asking what class this assignment was for. They even said it spiced up their night. One of them told me of a recent experience where an elderly man bought an entire family's ice cream order. And the family wasn't informed until after the man left. I bet he didn't do it for a class assignment.
I realize this was just a scoop of ice cream, but it was still a good time. It makes me somewhat sad that it took a professor's instruction for me to perform this random act of kindness. I need to look for more opportunities like this.

The Profession:

2010-02-11T10:05:00.000-08:00

I applaud Group #3 for this presentation! Everyone who was present and passionate about journalism enjoyed it. You guys did a fabulous job, good work! Personally, I didn’t want it to end. It’s been a long time since I have enjoyed a discussion during class to that extent. Thank-you for your preparation, research, and knowledge.
First, when comparing journalism to a professional priesthood I feel there are some similarities. The Priesthood in the Church is responsible for helping others.In journalism, our first priority is to the public, we give power to the powerless. Our text, The Mind of a Journalist even says we “surrender to the higher calling of serving others,” (13). I think this is a huge plus. Why would you not want a job that helps others?
I feel that a journalist is mostly concerned with getting the facts. We must make our decisions based on logic, not emotion. This can be hard, especially for me. Sometimes, I struggle with separating myself from the story. My heart just goes out to some of the people I have interviewed, and I wish to connect with them and express my sympathy. But, as discussed in class, if you want to really help, put down the notepad. I feel that with the job come many opportunities to help, but while reporting it is important to obtain the facts and get the story, that is our job. I feel that is one of our views that differ with the average person. For example, my main man, Anderson Cooper, has travelled from natural disaster to natural disaster. I was reading his background about some of his experiences and one in particular story stuck out. He spoke briefly about becoming desensitized to the death and fatalities he has seen. I can’t imagine seeing everything that he has, but is there a point where we can become too concerned with the facts and just lose our sense of humanity all together? I think so. I do agree that if we are too close to the story we lose objectivity and it can be emotionally wearing. However, if we are too far we lack understanding and never get the whole story.
Keeping sources confidential is always an interesting aspect of journalism to discuss. There are various factors and players that contribute to keeping a source confidential. As a general rule, I think we should only promise confidentiality we can actually keep that promise. In Washington D.C. it is prevalent to have confidential sources.
We also mentioned in class that the process of shedding a culture and assimilating into another one is called culture immersion and I think it's the best way to understand another culture. On my study abroad to London this past summer I experienced this first hand. It was such an eye opener to be thrown into another atmosphere for two months and learn what defines the English culture. Culture defines what is important to us as journalists and to the public we work for. I don't think we need to tell people how to think, just present the facts and then let them decide for themselves. I don't agree with what was said in class about America being optimistic and the Eastern part of the world being pessimistic regarding journalism. I am not the most knowledgeable on this topic, but it seemed to be a bit of an overgeneralization. However, like I said great presentation.

Loyalty & Journalism

2010-02-04T11:29:00.000-08:00

Who do journalists work for? According to our text The Elements of Journalism, “The bonuses of newsroom executives today are based in large part on how much profit their companies make” (51). Reality is journalism is a business that has responsibilities for keeping budgets and attracting customers. And sometimes, that business gets in the way of seeking the truth. Journalism’s first loyalty is to the citizens. We report to and for the public. That is part of the job description. We seek the truth to inform. “It is the implied covenant with the public, which tells the audiences that the movie reviews are straight, that the restaurant reviews are not influenced by who buys an ad, that the coverage is not self-interested or slanted for friends” (52). I could not agree more with this idea.

In class, we talked about a huge wall dividing the business side and the news side at stations. Ideally, news and business should be separated like church and state. (Hahaha kind of ironic that Broadcast Journalism is my Major and Business Management my Minor)! The business side is solely dedicated to producing revenues whereas the news side should be devoted to fair journalism. However, what if the CEO of a company who pays the station for advertising gets arrested for illegal activity? Does the station run the story? If it’s newsworthy, yes. Just because the company is likely to withdraw its advertising does not mean it should be forgotten about. One person commented in class how journalism will rarely corrupt business, business would corrupt journalism. For examples click here.

So when it comes down to it are we going to abandon objectivity for monetary compensations. I would hope not. I believe fairness and truth starts one journalist, one news station at a time.

Something else to think about: will the decline of local news lead to corruption in public institutions? The media is the watch dog and without curious journalists some stories will not be found.

Truth & Journalism

2010-02-02T10:19:00.000-08:00

Truth is the primary mission and first obligation in journalism. Turth is the essence of news. As reporters, we must seek the truth and present it to the public with utmost clarity. Viewers turn to the news to learn and think about the world beyond themselves. Therefore, it must be accurate and reliable. In my Principles of Journalism class the first group's presentation revolved around truth and journalism. They mentioned the two tests of truth are getting the facts straight and making sense of the facts. Journalistic truth is seeking the correct facts, presenting them in the most unbiased manner possible, and showing both sides to the story. For example, when covering an election a reporter must ensure that both parties receive an adequate and equal amount of air time.
The latest technological advances allow journalists to offer more transparency. For example, some journalists are even posting their entire notes on blogs.

I think this is such a great idea. Whether the public wants more information regarding a story or just wants to double check the facts, this transparency offers those means. We also spoke in class about news stations and reporters' baises. I agree with the majority of the class that it is impossible to be completely unbiased.
To learn how to detect bias:

Everyone has their own backgrounds, experiences, etc., which influences their particular views. Consequently, they sway the story ideas we research, the angles we take, and the way we present the information. I wish this wasn't the case. But in a way it does express some form of individuality, just to look on the brightside.

Happiness

2010-01-31T22:32:00.000-08:00

In my Management Communications class we were assigned to write and explain the most important word to us and why. I believe the most important word is HAPPINESS. It means different things to different people. To me, happiness is being with close friends and family.

Happiness is being content. It's flying into Sky Harbor Airport and realizing I'm almost home.
It's sitting by a fire and playing my favorite game, CatchPhrase, with all of my favorite people. And winning. It's eating an entire Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad. It's meeting new people and forming new relationships.
Happiness is traveling, seeing new places, and learning new things.

Happiness is accomplishing something I once viewed unattainable. It's getting good grades. It's walking out of the Testing Center having taken my last final of the semester.It's making to-do lists and crossing each item off.
Happiness is wearing Rainbows and shorts, and riding bikes in the summertime.

Happiness is baseball games. It's Mesa in March when the orange blossoms are in full bloom. It's Tia Rosa's Salsa Verde. Happiness is coming home to Apt. #426.
Happiness is late night talks with my main man, Con.

Happiness entails many things. And for that, I am so grateful, because most days are extremely happy.

Help Haiti

2010-01-24T18:55:00.000-08:00

While getting ready on Friday night I tuned into "Hope for Haiti Now". Over 25 networks worldwide aired the 2-hour telethon, organized by George Clooney. I honestly just sat on my couch and cried as celebrities told stories of individuals suffering in Haiti. Anderson Cooper reported live from Haiti throughout the night, interviewing children who were rescued days after the earthquake only to learn all of their family members had been killed. My heart aches for Haiti. I feel sick inside when I watch the news or read articles about the fatalities. Besides setting a record for the most money raised by a disaster relief telethon, the charity's Hope for Haiti album - featuring performances on the telethon by Beyonce, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Madonna, T. Swift, Bruce Spingsteen, Christina Aguilera, Coldplay, etc., became the largest one-day album pre-order in iTunes history. Quite impressive.

I can't believe the tragedy. With death estimates ranging from 50,000-200,000, bodies were first piled in front of the morgue, just to be relocated to mass graves. Most are unidentifiable. All are laid to rest without proper Haitain burial rituals, an extremely significant aspect of their culture. Haitians are known to spend more money on burial procedures than their living conditions.

A recent NY Times article quoted Anderson Cooper one of the first nights he arrived in Haiti. "Hug a loved one close and thank God you are not in Port-au-Prince tonight."

I hear it's caos. I hear survivors are struggling to find food, water, and adequate medical attention. I can't even imagine the difficulties they are facing. And as I sit in my comfortable apartment I feel guilty. I feel fortunate. I feel blessed. I wonder how I got so lucky.

Haiti, I am so sorry. I cry for you. I pray for you. My heart goes out to you. There are people everywhere pulling for you.

The Debut Of The New Do...

2010-01-24T14:41:00.000-08:00

Okay...here it is...the "I Had To Cut My Hair In Order To Be A Weather Anchor" haircut. It has been a long time coming. I go live on the BYU Daily News on Monday, so I definitely waited until the LAST minute. Our News Director said that shoulder-length hair will not only be encouraged, but also enforced. So, I gave in. People in the Broadcast program have asked, "Do you want the date or do you want the job?" My response, "Why can't I have both?!" For now, four hours and four inches later, looks like I chose the job.

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Cute Cupcakes

2010-01-17T22:41:00.000-08:00

Look out Provo…a new hang out has hit the scene this year. The Cocoa Bean Cupcake Café is my new favorite dessert place. Bold statement, I know. For those of you who know me well, know I L-O-V-E my treats and never pass an opportunity for a late night dessert run. So naturally, after a hefty meal at Goodwood on Saturday night, we decided to give the Cocoa Bean Cupcake Café a try. My good friend, Emily, works there and she surprised us one day and brought home some samples. Needless to say, I was hooked.

The Café has select cupcakes they make each day in mini, regular, and jumbo sizes. From their “Better Than Whatever” to “Red Velvet” flavors they are sure to please. Additionally, they also make Italian Sodas and Lattés made from cocoa beans instead of coffee beans, a real selling point to the Provo crowd. As of yet, I can’t get enough. Sweet Tooth Fairy, you now have some competition. Best of wishes Cocoa Bean, I hope you have a successful first year on University Avenue. I’m sure my personal frequent visits will keep you in business.

What Is Journalism? Who Is A Journalist?

2010-01-07T10:36:00.000-08:00

This is my first assignment for my Principles of Journalism and Management Communications classes. It reminds me of something Socrates might ask a Broadcast Journalism student. He was known to pose simple, yet complex questions to people regarding the heart of what they study. For instance, he would ask lawyers, "What is ethics?" or artists, "What is beauty?" I assume he was trying to question their real knowledge in their chosen field. He would ask questions, and in turn hope that would create more questions. There it is - The Socratic Method. So now, as a budding broadcast student, it is my turn. I learn something new about my major each day, so I don't claim to be an expert, or anything close to it. Nevertheless, here is my best attempt.

I feel that journalism is ever changing, especially in today's world with new technology and mass media. Journalism is the skill of conveying news and information through different mediums, including television, newspapers, magazines, radio, and the Internet. It is the process of gathering information, performing intense research - sometimes on a time crunch, and presenting it to the public in a way that will be informative and beneficial to them. In a way, it enables the public to stay free and self-governing. It is the government's watchdog. And a journalist is someone who seeks the truth, does everything in their capacity to find it, and then presents it in a timely, interesting manner. This may sound broad and maybe even vague. But from my personal, extremely amateur experience, broadcast journalism is so much more than that. It's finding compelling, significant story ideas. It's researching, learning about the topic. It's calling, conducting interviews, filming. And that's just the beginning. Then, writing conversationally. Then voicing, editing. And finally, going live and telling your viewer to listen up - this is what I've been working on all day - and here's why it's important to you. So, there...as of now, this is what I want to do with my life! Hopefully you find that satisfactory, Socrates.

New Semester, New Blog

2010-01-07T10:27:00.001-08:00

Since I returned from my London Study Abroad this past summer, I have been MIA from the blogging world. However, now with a new semester, new courses, new memories, I have decided to start things back up again! It may also have everything to do with blogging requirements for two of my classes this semester. Comms 239 - Principles of Journalism, which I have put off until the end of my program, and also Mcom 320 - Business and Management Communications, which is my very last, final General Education Course here at beloved BYU. So here goes. Here's to another semester, my sixth as a Cougar to be exact. Only three left. Yes, you heard me, three. Then, I guess it's time to grow up...or to get more education. We will see. As for now, I will post things for classes as well for fun too. Go Cougs.

Highlights Over the Past Weeks!

2009-07-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

Basically, I am a terrible blogger. So sorry family! I had midterms this week and they keep us so busy. There are just not enough hours in the day! But here are a few updates!

Today, we went to Hampton Court where King Henry VIII, Mary I, and William & Mary lived. It is massive with beautiful surrounding gardens! Here, Jordan and I are dining like royalty in Henry's Dining Hall that fed over 600 people twice a day.

Madalyne, Jordan and I saw the musical Jersey Boys last night and I absolutely LOVED it! It's the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. I had heard most of the songs but had no idea they were the ones that sang them! 'Sherry Baby,' 'Walk Like A Man,' 'Oh What A Night,' and 'I Love You Baby' were some of my favorites. It was high energy and fast paced, my kind of play. Seriously thinking about going again! It takes place in New Jersey in the 1960's so there is some foul language, but once I accepted that, I was fine. Tons of fun and I highly reccommend it!

We headed to Portsmouth for another Wednesday Day Trip! This beach town houses the British Navy. We toured the remains of King Henry VIII's faithful ship the Mary Rose, Nelson's Victory that defeated the French at the Battle of Trafalger, shopped at the outlets, and went on the Harbor Tour.
Miss Meg and I on the Harbor Tour!

The Cadbury Factory Shop --- pure bliss.

Rock Climbing at Aviation Stations in Portsmouth

The Victory

As an entire group we visited Cambridge for a Wednesday Day Trip. It was your typical charming college town. I learned that Cambridge is actually made up of 31 different colleges, the biggest being King's College with Trinity coming in a close second. Student apply for the college instead of the University. Right away we noticed the river with lots of people 'punting'. We fit 6 of us in this boat and toured the entire University. I tried punting and Rueben, our tour guide, had to bail me out after I ran us into a tree. Lots of fun!

We ate at The Eagle, a pub where Watson and Crick spent alot of time chatting/relaxing and actually announced their discovery of the structure of DNA, the double helix.

One of my favorite things to do here is walk around London at night, it's so beautiful!

Last week after class one day Jordan and I went to see the musical CHICAGO! I had seen the movie before, so I somewhat knew what to expect. The Cell Block Tango was the biggest highlight! Jerry Springer played Billy Flynn, the manipulating lawyer...he did a surprising good job. Thanks Jerry for a great night!

We went shopping at Portobello Market. It was packed, so many vendors, so little time. We spent a whole Saturday there, and I could easily go back again. Obviously, I am not starving on this trip. I had a yummy Strawberry & Creme Crepe and this Greek Sandwich.

A group of us girls went to see the musical WICKED! I have listened to the Soundtrack forever, but this was my first time seeing it. I LOVED it, our Alpheba was fabulous!

On a Friday Field Day we visited a Sihk Gurdwara, the equivalent to our temple, very interesting! It is open to the public and they serve a free lunch to anyone who comes.

We made it into Wimbledon...Douglas would be so proud! We went after class one day and didn't even have to wait in the queue! On our last try to Wimbledon, I tried to talk our way in with some security guards at the queue, they were so not having it! Apparently, scalping tickets is illegal. Who knew???!! Needless to say, this trip was a success! We were able to watch some great matches, get some sun and buy our classy Wimbledon tees. I had my eye out for Andy Roddick all day, supposedly we just missed him at the practice courts...bummer! I found myself wanting to yell and cheer during the matches...clearly Wimbledon is much more refined.

Weekend Update!

2009-06-30T16:28:00.001-07:00

Sunday was a truly neat experience. Never have I spent more time traveling to church than I have actually attending church. Oh the sacrifices! I had a huge reality check! I live 2 minutes from my church building and it is still common for me to walk in late. ouch. There are 3 girls from the program and one professor and his family that go to the Catford Ward with me.I'm assigned to work in the Primary...what age group I'm unsure. The kids are darling. I love hearing them speak! Almost the entire ward is African American. It's very touching to hear them share their love of the gospel. Clearly, I just know the few people in my program so it was neat to meet other members, they are all very welcoming and excited to have us! We traveled back to the Centre, had lunch, I got caught up on a few things. We had a special fireside that night with the ccouple missionaries and Stake President and his wife (whom I adore, she it Scotish and so dang cute!)I thoroughly enjoyed their words and testimonies. I'm looking forward to more Sundays in the Catford Ward.

Saturday I slept in until 10:30 and then a few of us took the Tube to Wimbledown to see if we could continue our luck and get tickets. After much bribing...no luck. There is a huge line for ground tickets that we contemplated waiting in...but decided we wouldn't get in until late. Too bad, Andy Roddick was playing at Centre Court. We are heading back on Thursday to wait in the line and get tickets! We walked through the Wimbledon area and I have to say thus far it is my favorite place in London. It's a beautiful area with fun shops and cute houses. Much more residential than I was expecting. We went to a pub where we ate and watched the match on tv. We met this guy from Germany and chatted with him for a bit. He is taking a year off of school to travel the world. 15 flights. One back pack. One year. How fun. What I would give to be in shoes! We talked to him briefly about our school and the Church and see was absolutely dumbfounded by some of our standards. He was very interesting to talk too...I really enjoy learning more about the people we met here. So different than Mesa/Provo. But that is why I'm here...to see the differences! That night we came home, I did some homework and laundry and then went to bed for early church.

Friday was a crazy day indeed! I woke up and went on a little run through Hyde Park. Kensington Gardens is absolutely beautiful, it beats running at Mountainside or on canals anyday! There are so many people out going to work, running, walking dogs, etc. It's definitely fun to see the English in action. After breakfast we all headed down to the Tower of London. This was one of my favorite things I have done so far. I loved learning about Henry VIII and all of the history there. Some of the highlights were the Henry VIII: Dressed to Kill Exhibit (Armor), Crown Jewels, Bloody Tower (where the two famous princes, Edward V and Richard, were killed) and Beauchamp Tower (where they kept prisoners). I also saw Tower Hill where King Henry VIII had multiple people beheaded including his second wife, Anne Boleyn. We watched a skit that actors performed in the court yard. Henry VIII definitely had one wandering eye! He truly facinates me...his life was one big scandal after another!
The Tower of London

So this is where Henry VIII would do his business...there is an open hole and everything would just slide down the Tower walls...sick nasty.

Traitor's Gate - Where Queen Anne came through just before her execution.

Eating these yummy nuts on the Tower Bridge.

My dad had been informing me for weeks about the Hard Rock Calling Music Festival at Hyde Park this weekend featuring his favorite Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. I swear I think Douglas travels with the band. He's been to multiple states just to see the show...which I hear is pretty unreal. I looked at the schedule and saw that The Kooks (an English based band) and The Killers were playing on Friday. Big bummer that Dave Matthews Band and the Boss were on Sunday :( Needless to say we took a little stroll in Hyde Park Sunday evening. Anyways, after dinner a couple of girls and I headed over to see if we could just buy tickets from scalpers. We saw a group of people wearing Killers T-shirts and they lead us to the concert. The only man in the group had an extra ticket and gave it to us for free! And then he helped us check the validity of the scalper tickets. We all ended up paying £25 for the show! Dang good, I dont know how it all worked out...the show was amazing. We made our way within 30 yards of the stage in a crowd of over 45,000 people. Insane. And they sounded just like the CD. Pretty cool...the lead singer is a great entertainer and doesn't look bad in tight pants. We all had a great time!

Day 2 - Centre, V&A, Pubs

2009-06-28T16:49:00.001-07:00

Day 2- Thursday, June 25th
Here are a few pics of the BYU London Centre...so the parentals can see the living conditions.

Today we started classes. It was a struggle. I still feel like the exhaustion sets in if I sit down for long periods of time...so I try to avoid that as much as possible. It was so hard to be in a classroom when there is so much to do and so much fun to be had. That afternnon we headed to the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A). My favorite museum thus far. My favorite exhibits were the fashion/textiles and the jewelry gallery. No pics were allowed in the jewelry room...but I went crazy in the fashion exhibit and spent over an hour. They highlighted the changes in fashion over the past 300-400 years...so fun. My favorite was the shoes!
This dress is made out of 20 bras...naughty.

One of Princess Di's Dresses

The Classic Double Decker Bus

Then we walked to Harrod's and just looked around in the food court. Unbelievable. Not your average Chick-fil-a and Panda Express. They have room after room of yummy food places. Their sweet room is the winner by far. Considering the Harrod's summer sale starts this weekend, they have not seen the last of me. We took the Tube back to the Centre and had dinner, fajitas! I got my Mexican food fix.

Later that night, a few of us decided to go to the pub. We ended up getting into one and the only seats that were open were right next to the live band. We went to the front, sat down, and just looked happy to be there. If we didn't stand out enough, a couple people wanted to order smoothies at the bar...however it was closed. We must have just screamed...'GO COUGS'. We toped off the night with a run to Tesco for some chocolate...so far my favorites are GALAXY BARS. In Love. I love getting to know this group of people better. A couple of them know people I do and we have found lots of things in common. It's funny what a small world it is...how grateful I am to have this experience.

Day 1 - Fish & Chips, British Museum, Gelato

2009-06-27T16:27:00.000-07:00

I know this is a couple days ago but for journaling purposes I would really love to have a record of what I do with my days here in London. So, I hope to complete a recap of each day on the blog. Here are a couple of pictures from the big traveling day!

They have the cutest boutiques with the most fun hats!

Our trip thourgh Hyde Park :)

Okay, so funny story...we heard some music and chanting while in the park and decided to follow it. Turns out it was the Iranians protesting at their embassy. They are angry about the leader that was suppossedly 'voted' into office. Anyway, I saw this news station van and got really excited, seeing as how I haven't had to report on a story in almost 2 months. I chatted with the camera man and he gave us the low down as to what was going on. I asked him if I could get a picture with him and he said, 'Sure!' and handed me a mic. Haha I wasn't expecting that. Oh yeah, turns out they're with the friggin BBC! Who would have thought?!

Wednesday, June 24th To start off, we woke up, ate breakfast, and got ready for the day. I dont remember the last time I was this exhausted, so bing in a different bed, a bunk bed for that matter, didn't even phase. I slept great! Then, we had an orientation during the morning just prefacing what to expect for our classes, group adventures, etc.
After our time in the Centre, four of us, Caitlin, Jordan, Lexi and I, went to get a few things on Queensway and then set out on mission to find some real English fish & chips. I was looking at one of our maps when an older man whom we could barely understand asked if we were lost. I asked him if he knew of the best fish & chips place close by. He said he did and tried giving us directions. We all must have looked confused, because he finally said he would take us there. At first we were all a little hesitant. However, there were four of us, it was the middle of the day, and this guy had to be at least 65+. So, here are four young American girls, following this elderly Indain man to find yummy food. Personally, I wondered if he was all there, but realized it must be part of the culture, because we made it safe and sound and hungry! I'm not the biggest fish fan so I said, 'I'll probably just get a hamburger.' All of the girls said, 'No Kylee, our first real meal in London and you want the classic American meal?' I gave in and got the fish & chips. I then proceeded to ask if the chips were baked or just plain chips. Caitlin looked at me with a funny face and replied, 'Wow. They are french fries.' Here I am trying to decide if I want the less greasy baked Lays or the Chedder Doritos. Dang. I am out of my comfort zone. Haha all in all, our meal was delish and I am the newest English Fish & Chips fan!

Then we got on our first Tube ride of the trip to the British Museum. Unreal. All of the museums are free here...so you can see everything you want, when you want, how convienent. I had been there once before with the family when we visited London for Christmas of 2004, but this time I was able to stay longer and look at more exhibits. Some of my favorites were the Rosetta Stone, the Egypt room, and this one particular piece that showed all of the pills one individual will roughly take in their lifetime. It was put together by a few artists and demonstrates the increase of medicine in the human life. Very interesting.

Then we headed back to the Centre and ate dinner. We had this yummy chicken and rice dish. The Centre directors, Dave and Terry Shuler, live here full time at the Centre and Terry makes all of our breakfasts and dinners minus Saturday. She is one amazing woman to feed 40 hungry students and 4 Professors plus their families. Bless her heart, she is a saint! Later that night, a couple of girls and I went to get some gelato! It was yummy...a great end to a wonderful first day in the city. Right away, I feel extremely comfortable and welcomed by this group of people. I can't wait to get to know them better throughout the summer!

Arrival, Jetlagged, and Internet Issues

2009-06-26T17:55:00.001-07:00

Well, this week has finally come! At first I couldn't believe it, and now I can't get enough of it. I did arrive safely with about nine other kids from my program that were on the same flight from JFK to Heathrow. So nice to travel in a big group. The flight was not to bad, however they were playing movies, but the volume in my particular was down :( So... I watched 'He's Just Not That Into You' with no volume multiple times. I actually sat by this nice older fellow who was traveling to see Wimbledon this week. It helped the time go by!

We made it to the Centre, got our bedding, room assignments, and got settled. Caitlin Porter in my bunk mate...it's great to spend time with her and get to know her better. She is one amazing girl! We organized our individual closets, drawer, and bed shelf. My favorite! I looovvve organizing, so it took my mind off of my exhaustion and fatigue. I am in a room with 7 other girls, we share 2 showers and 2 sinks. And...they are all quite clean! Another PLUS! The Centre is beautiful I will try to post pictures soon. Seems as if my computer will allow me to connect to the internet, but it's ridiculously SLOW...and usually never opens Internet Explorer. I have one of my tech-savvy professors working on this predicament as we speak! So I have alot of journaling to catch up on! I know pictures are what I like to look at the most....so hopefully soon!

After that we decided to complete our First London Walk Tour to familiarize us with our new neighborhood. Haha first of all, we keep looking the wrong direction when we cross the street, because they drive on the opposite sides of the road. We have had some close calls! Needless to say, we are not local yet! This city is so much fun! I am in LOVE! The people I have interacted with thus far have all been extremely friendly and helpful. How grateful I am for the cross cultural experience to learn and grow on so many levels. I will take FULL advantage of it, no doubt.